Jesus Rejected at Nazareth

Notes

Everything seemed well in Galilee. Jesus “taught in their synagogues, being glorified by all,” (). Why should anything be different in Nazareth, Jesus’ hometown? But, of course, things are different. Jesus is rejected in Nazareth. Truly, a prophet is without honor in his hometown.

If we were reading Luke’s gospel for the first time, it might catch us by surprise that Jesus is rejected in Nazareth, but it did not catch Jesus by surprise. Although the people of Galilee had praised him, he did not entrust himself to the praises of men, “because he knew all people and needed no one to bear witness about man, for he himself knew what was in man,” ().

John 2:24–25 ESV

But Jesus on his part did not entrust himself to them, because he knew all people and needed no one to bear witness about man, for he himself knew what was in man.

Luke 1–5: The MacArthur New Testament Commentary The Setting

The synagogues had no full-time pastors or teachers; the policy known as the “freedom of the synagogue” allowed for anyone approved by the ruler of the synagogue to teach. Thus, if a noted teacher was available, he would likely be invited to preach, as was Paul (cf. Acts 13:14–15). In the absence of a guest teacher, any of the men in attendance who were approved to do so might teach. The synagogues were ruled by elders (cf. Mark 5:22), the chief of which was the archisunagōgos, or ruler of the synagogue (Luke 13:14; Acts 18:8). It was his responsibility to conduct the worship service and approve the teachers. There was another officer besides the ruler of the synagogue and the elders, the chazzan. He was the keeper of the scrolls on which the Scriptures were written (cf. v. 20) and was responsible for getting the proper scrolls out for each day’s reading and returning them to the chest where they were stored. In addition to serving as places of worship, the synagogues also provided instruction for children, much like today’s elementary schools, and served as local courts (cf. 12:11; Matt. 10:17).

The order of worship in a typical synagogue of Jesus’ day may be reconstructed as follows:

1. Thanksgivings or “blessings” spoken in connection with (before and after), the Shema: “Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is One, and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might.”

2. Prayer, with response of “Amen” by the congregation

3. Reading of a passage from the Pentateuch (in Hebrew, followed by translation into Aramaic)

4. Reading of a passage from the Prophets (similarly translated)

5. Sermon or word of exhortation

6. The Benediction pronounced by a priest, to which the congregation responded with “Amen.” When no priest was present a Closing Prayer was substituted for the Benediction. (William Hendriksen, New Testament Commentary: The Gospel of Mark [Grand Rapids: Baker, 1975], 75–76)