Matthew 13:53-58 - Rejected At Nazareth

⁵³ Now when Jesus had finished these parables he set out from there,

⁵⁴ and went to his native place, where he taught the people in the synagogue till they were astounded. They said, "Where did he get this wisdom and these miraculous powers? ⁵⁵ Is this not the son of the joiner? Is not his mother called Mary, and his brothers James and Joseph and Simon and Judas? ⁵⁶ Are not his sisters settled here among us? Then where has he got all this?" ⁵⁷ So they were repelled by him. But Jesus said to them, "A prophet never goes without honour except in his native place and in his home." ⁵⁸ There he could not do many miracles owing to their lack of faith.

¹ Leaving there he went to his native place, followed by his disciples. ² When the sabbath came, he began to teach in the synagogue, and the large audience was astounded. "Where did he get all this?" they said. "What is the meaning of this wisdom he is endowed with? And these miracles, too, that his hands perform! ³ Is this not the joiner, the son of Mary and the brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? Are not his sisters settled here among us?" So they were repelled by him.

⁴ Then Jesus said to them, "A prophet never goes without honour except in his native place and among his kinsfolk and in his home." ⁵ There he could not do any miracle, beyond laying his hands on a few sick people and curing them. ⁶ He was astonished at their lack of faith. Then he made a tour round the villages, teaching.

¹⁶ Then he came to Nazaret, where he had been brought up, and on the sabbath he entered the synagogue as was his custom. He stood up to read the lesson ¹⁷ and was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah; on opening the book he came upon the place where it was written,

¹⁸ The Spirit of the Lord is upon me: for he has consecrated me to preach the gospel to the poor, he has sent me to proclaim release for captives and recovery of sight for the blind, to set free the oppressed, ¹⁹ to proclaim the Lord's year of favour.

²⁰ Then, folding up the book, he handed it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him, ²¹ and he proceeded to tell them that "To-day, this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing."

²² All spoke well of him and marvelled at the gracious words that came from his lips; they said, "Is this not Joseph's son?"

²³ So he said to them, "No doubt you will repeat to me this proverb, 'Doctor, cure yourself!' 'Do here in your own country all we have heard you did in Capharnahum.'"

²⁴ He added, "I tell you truly, no prophet is ever welcome in his native place. ²⁵ I tell you for a fact, In Israel there were many widows during the days of Elijah, when the sky was closed for three years and six months, when a great famine came over all the land: ²⁶ yet Elijah was not sent to any of these, but only to a widow woman at Zarephath in Sidon. ²⁷ And in Israel there were many lepers in the time of the prophet Elisha, yet none of these was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian."

²⁸ When they heard this, all in the synagogue were filled with rage; ²⁹ they rose up, put him out of the town, and brought him to the brow of the hill on which their town was built, in order to hurl him down. ³⁰ But he made his way through them and went off.