Explain(LUKE 4: 25 30) : But I tell you of a truth, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elias, when the

e heaven was shut up three years and six months, when great famine was throughout all the land; But unto none of them was Elias sent, save unto Sarepta, a city of Sidon, unto a woman that was a widow. And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Eliseus the prophet; and none of them was cleansed, saving Naaman the Syrian....And all they in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath,And rose up, and thrust him out of the city, and led him unto the brow of the hill whereon their city was built, that they might cast him down headlong. But he passing through the midst of them went his way, (LUKE 4: 25 - 30) I can share how I have understood this passage. This happened very early in the public ministry of Jesus Christ, shortly after his baptism with water. Having returned from the wilderness after 40 days of fasting, Jesus began his public ministry. V15 says 'He taught in their synagogues, being glorified of all.' Then he came to NAZARETH. This was his home town. This was where his family still lived. It was the custom of the Jews to gather in their local synagogue every sabbath and read the (Old Testament) law & prophets. (Acts 13:14, 15, 27). So too, on the sabbath day, Jesus went to the synagogue at Nazareth and stood up to read. He read from Isaiah 61 verse 1 and part of verse 2. From that portion Jesus made a great confession: 'This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.' - Luke 4:21 Jesus claimed that from the prophecy of Isaiah, the portion that he had read was fulfilled on that day. That meant that Jesus was QUALIFIED BY GOD (The Spirit of the Lord is upon me), that Jesus was the ANOINTED BY GOD ie he was the CHRIST / MESSIAH (Because he hath anointed me), that Jesus was COMMISSIONED BY GOD (he hath sent me). Luke 3:15 says that in those days, the people were in a great EXPECTATION for the coming of the Christ. In that setting, Jesus made this great confession that HE WAS THE CHRIST that God had anointed and commissioned. All his childhood, teenage, and young adulthood, Jesus lived and grew up in NAZARETH (over 25 years). All that time, until his baptism with water, Jesus never revealed by word or deed who he really was. His town folk esteemed him very lightly; just another illiterate carpenter. (Mark 6:3, John 7:15). Now, the Jews in the synagogue were in AWE just hearing him read the scripture. They WONDERED at his gracious words. Now they were OFFENDED when Jesus claimed to be the Anointed Messiah commissioned by Jehovah. Jesus knew their offence. Before they spoke, Jesus preempted them saying, 'Ye will surely say unto me this proverb, Physician, heal thyself: whatsoever we have heard done in Capernaum, do also here in thy country.' -'Luke 4:23 'Physician heal thyself' was a proverbial saying. It meant, 'Do to yourself what you do for others.'. They had heard the great things that Jesus had done in Capernaum (a neigbhouring town). They wanted Jesus

to do the same in Nazareth, his own town. But Jesus had not done any miracles at Nazareth, because of they despised him, treated him with contempt, were prejudiced against him, and did not even give him the basic courtesy and acceptance that a prophet received. Luke 4:24 Verily I say unto you, No prophet is accepted in his own country. Then Jesus referred to two Old Testament Prophets to JUSTIFY why he had not done much at Nazareth, as he did in Capernaum and other towns. > ELIJAH was not accepted in Israel, so he went to Zarephath (Sarepta) in Sidon where a Gentile widow benefited from his ministry. > ELISHA was not accepted in Israel, the many lepers in Israel did not seek him for healing, but Naaman the Syrian Jesus chose his examples very wisely. His two examples had one thing in common: the beneficiaries were GENTILES!! Jesus, though he ministered only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel (Rom 15:8), implied that he would not hesitate to minister to Gentiles, if they sought him with faith, but would yet not work in Nazareth, his home town if they were prejudiced against him. That was what provoked them to wrath. They were angry that the one who claimed to be the Messiah would favour even the Gentiles over Nazareth. Anger gave way to a mob frenzy; their sabbath devotions were disrupted, Jesus' discourse was interrupted, they pushed and shoved Jesus out of the synagogue and thrust him out of the city, as though he was undeserving of living in Nazareth anymore. They tried to even kill him by pushing him over the hill on which the city was built. In v30 we have an un-natural event. Jesus passed through the midst of the mob and walked away unharmed. To me this seems to be an angelic activity, similar to what happened outside Lot's house. There the angels had struck the mob with blindness, so Lotand his family could escape unhindered. Psalm 91:11 shows how God had charged angels to ensure that Jesus was kept safe from all ills, evils, and devils until the cross. Jesus went straight to his house, packed his bags, and along with his mother, brothers, and sisters, left Nazareth for good, and relocated to Capernaum, the neighbouring town that was on the banks of the sea of Galilee. (Matt 4:13). For the rest of his ministry, Jesus made Capernaum his home town, which is why the city is referred to as Jesus own city (Matt 9:1), and as Jesus own country (Mark 6:1).