Dis-honor of the Prophet

Matthew 13:53-58

Matthew 13:53 Now it came to pass, when Jesus had finished these parables, that He departed from there. 

Matthew 13:54 When He had come to His own country, He taught them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished and said, “Where did this Man get this wisdom and these mighty works? 

Matthew 13:55 Is this not the carpenter’s son? Is not His mother called Mary? And His brothers James, Joses, Simon, and Judas? 

Matthew 13:56 And His sisters, are they not all with us? Where then did this Man get all these things?” 

Matthew 13:57 So they were offended at Him. But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own country and in his own house.” 

Matthew 13:58 Now He did not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief.

Wow. Hot takes right? They in their scoffing, get offended. I’ve been experiencing that. I blame everyone and everything but me, for my attitude and anger. Its not pretty.

So that we have a little context, I want to see a parallel passage in

Mark 6:1–6 “Then He went out from there and came to His own country, and His disciples followed Him. 2 And when the Sabbath had come, He began to teach in the synagogue. And many hearing Him were astonished, saying, “Where did this Man get these things? And what wisdom is this which is given to Him, that such mighty works are performed by His hands! 3 Is this not the carpenter, the Son of Mary, and brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon? And are not His sisters here with us?” So they were offended at Him. 4 But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own country, among his own relatives, and in his own house.” 5 Now He could do no mighty work there, except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them. 6 And He marveled because of their unbelief. Then He went about the villages in a circuit, teaching.”

This side of the cross, its easy for me to criticize, but what would you do if someone came, seeming to do incredible miracles, teaching like you had never heard but everything you had ever learned told you to, “Burn the witch!”

Matthew 13:53 “ Now it came to pass, when Jesus had finished these parables, that He departed from there.”

Without looking and raise your hand, name one of the parables. No comment from the usual suspects. Right, and where did He teach them at? the beach! His home-base was Capernaum.

Matthew 13:1 “ On the same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the sea.”

Matthew 13:54 “ When He had come to His own country, He taught them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished and said, “Where did this Man get this wisdom and these mighty works?”

country is πατρίδα patrida - often translated homeland or hometown. Its a short walk from Capernaum to Nazareth.

The knew Him and immediately scoffed. You can see this from the text, you can see the ruler of the synagogue gesturing at Jesus saying, where did this get such wisdom and power?

The insinuation sounds like who? Dem Pharisees - Matthew 12:24 “ Now when the Pharisees heard it they said, “This fellow does not cast out demons except by Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons.”” then in Matthew 12:31 “ “Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men.”

They knew his upbringing, education (or lack thereof) and no doubt knew about his “birth”. LIke when Mary and Joe left for Bethlehem then came back a while later with the baby Jesus in tow.

Now suddenly, believe in Him? Follow Him? Trust in Him? Those are things you did for God! Petulant child. Listen as they try to justify their judgement of Him

Matthew 13:55–56 “ Is this not the carpenter’s son? Is not His mother called Mary? And His brothers James, Joses, Simon, and Judas? 56 And His sisters, are they not all with us? Where then did this Man get all these things?””

Mary, James, Joses, Simon and Judas. Sisters. They all still lived in Nazareth.

We had gone through that no previous children are ever mentioned and the text in says

Matthew 13:57a “ So they were offended at Him.

They were offended at Him. Offended here is ἐσκανδαλίζοντο: eskandalizonto: “cause to sin”. Where we get scandal from. They are scandalized at what He did. They really did think what had been said and done by him to be, Satanic.

Matthew 13:57b “…But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own country and in his own house.””

Both luke and john also record this statement. This is the first occurrence of it in the bible.

We might think this was it but there is another very almost precisely similar recording of a nazareth encounter that Luke records happening right after Jesus’ encounter with Satan in the Wilderness in Luke 4:16–30 start with “22 So all bore witness to Him, and marveled at the gracious words which proceeded out of His mouth. And they said, “Is this not Joseph’s son?” 23 He said to them, “You will surely say this proverb to Me, ‘Physician, heal yourself! Whatever we have heard done in Capernaum, do also here in Your country.’ ” 24 Then He said, “Assuredly, I say to you, no prophet is accepted in his own country. 25 But I tell you truly, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, and there was a great famine throughout all the land; 26 but to none of them was Elijah sent except to Zarephath, in the region of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow. 27 And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet, and none of them was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian.” 28 So all those in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath, 29 and rose up and thrust Him out of the city; and they led Him to the brow of the hill on which their city was built, that they might throw Him down over the cliff. 30 Then passing through the midst of them, He went His way.” WOW - this was one of the reasons that Jesus didn't share with the gen-pub that he was not just messiah, but God on earth. Folks got upset.

They were offended at Him. He grew up with most of these folks. Their family was known. No doubt He had friends. But none here either friends, family, whatever, trusted Him. Believed in Him.

And both the OT and NT is very specific in its stipulation of blessing/salvation. Its not method of birth. Not who's family was saved or not. But your own faith. Faith in the truth of Jesus, the way of Jesus so that you might have the Life of Jesus.

John 1:12–13 “ But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: 13 who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.”

Matthew 13:58 “ Now He did not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief.”

Their rejection of Him resulted in folks not wanting to be blessed, touched or talked to by a witch. Or demonically inspirited prophet. They hear nothing but each other, rejecting the clear teaching of scripture and assume that as He was a normal nobody growing up, He cant be doing what he's doing now without, etc.

They were offended, so of course, only a few could be healed (mark tells us) This also, is a fulfillment of prophecy. The scandal is that His claims (which are leading to the cross) are embarrassing the town (He is called Jesus of Nazareth even by demons (Mk 1:24) ‘an identifier’ His followers called Nazarenes (Ac 2:45) This is the one who was…

Isaiah 53:3 “ He is despised and rejected by men, A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.” They and we so often looked at him and turned away from our creator. John 1:10–11 “ He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. 11 He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him.”

Jeremiah 11:21 “ “Therefore thus says the Lord concerning the men of Anathoth who seek your life, saying, ‘Do not prophesy in the name of the Lord, lest you die by our hand’—” Jeremiah 12:6 “ For even your brothers, the house of your father, Even they have dealt treacherously with you; Yes, they have called a multitude after you. Do not believe them, Even though they speak smooth words to you.”

Peter preached in the temple grounds, Acts 3:22–24 “ For Moses truly said to the fathers, ‘The Lord your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your brethren. Him you shall hear in all things, whatever He says to you. 23 And it shall be that every soul who will not hear that Prophet shall be utterly destroyed from among the people.’ 24 Yes, and all the prophets, from Samuel and those who follow, as many as have spoken, have also foretold these days.”

Jesus had come, at this time, to save. Its not that there is no judgement, but there is a time, which is right now, for you to be saved - John 12:47–48 “ And if anyone hears My words and does not believe, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world. 48 He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him—the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day.”

The most important thing in anyones life, is that they know their creator, and fellowship with Him. Would you like to receive Him as your personal savior?