Why Was Jesus Rejected in His Hometown?
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At the beginning of his ministry, shortly after his baptism and temptation in the wilderness, the Bible tells us Jesus traveled throughout the land, teaching in the synagogues. Everyone praised him. Yet when he came to his hometown of Nazareth, the reception was decidedly less enthusiastic; those who heard his words asked each other, “Isn’t this Joseph’s son?” (Luke 4:22).
Their reaction prompted Jesus to proclaim, “Truly I tell you … no prophet is accepted in his hometown” (Luke 4:24). Furious at his words, the crowd drove him off, even trying unsuccessfully to throw him off a cliff (v. 29).
Why was Jesus rejected in his hometown, yet everywhere else, the crowds received him gladly and with great praise?
Let’s take a look at what the Bible says and what this means for us today.
What Leads Up to This Incident?
First, we’ll take a look at what prompted all of this. We know that Jesus, was the earthly son of Mary and Joseph, even though the Bible tells us his true father was God and that he was conceived by the Holy Spirit while Mary was still a virgin (Luke 1:26-38). However, to the rest of the world, he was perceived as the son of Joseph, a descendant of David and a carpenter by trade (Matthew 13:55).
Scripture tells us Jesus was born in Bethlehem, then lived in Egypt for a couple of years (Matthew 2:14). The family later settled in Nazareth, where Jesus was ultimately raised (Matthew 2:23).
After Jesus became a man, he began his ministry around age 30. After being baptized by John in the River Jordan, he was led into the desert and tempted unsuccessfully by the devil for 40 days (Luke 4:2).
After this, he returned to Galilee and began teaching in synagogues. Scripture tells us the people held him in great regard. “News about him spread through the whole countryside … and everyone praised him” (Luke4:14-15).
This is when he arrives in Nazareth.
What Happens in Nazareth?
In Nazareth, Jesus seems to do much the same thing. We’re told that on the Sabbath he went into the synagogue and began to teach. He read form the prophet Isaiah, proclaiming, “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor” (Luke 4:18-19).
Immediately after this, Jesus sits down and tells the crowd, “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing” (v. 21).
Scripture tells us the people were “amazed” at the “gracious” words he spoke. The original Greek used for “amazed” is thaumazō, meaning astonished, surprised, and filled with wonder. The original Greek for “gracious” is charis, meaning favor or blessedness. The people were clearly impressed with him, then asked each other incredulously, “Isn’t this Joseph’s son?”
The implication is that they were astounded because this is someone they knew, the son of a local tradesman, yet he was suddenly speaking in a new, bold, and clearly magnificent way. What was going on, they seemed to wonder? While he spoke words that were impressive and astonishing, they ultimately were skeptical — after all, this was Joseph’s kid, a regular person, not someone who had the right to proclaim the fulfillment of a prophecy.
In essence, they were rejecting Jesus’s claim.
Jesus then tells them, “Surely you will quote this proverb to me: ‘Physician, heal yourself!’ And you will tell me, ‘Do here in your hometown what we have heard that you did in Capernaum’” (Luke 4:23). In essence, he might have been telling them he knew what they were thinking: Prove it.
Scripture tells us he continued by stating, “No prophet is accepted in his hometown. I assure you that there were many widows in Israel in Elijah’s time, when the sky was shut for three and a half years and there was a severe famine throughout the land. Yet Elijah was not sent to any of them, but to a widow in Zarephath in the region of Sidon. And there were many in Israel with leprosy in the time of Elisha the prophet, yet not one of them was cleansed — only Naaman the Syrian” (Luke 4:24-27).
Essentially, what Jesus is saying here is that sometimes God shows favor to other people groups rather than his beloved Israel — for instance, Elijah rescued a Gentile widow from Zarephath, and Elisha healed a Gentile leper from Syria, not an Israelite.
This is an insulting statement to those in the synagogue — fighting words, indeed — for they knew Jesus was telling them God had sent him, yet they rejected him, so he’d be sent instead to another place. Furious, the Bible tells us, “They got up, drove him out of the town, and took him to the brow of the hill on which the town was built, in order to throw him off the cliff. But he walked right through the crowd and went on his way” (Luke 4:29-30).
Jesus then goes on to heal masses of people in the region around Nazareth and also drive out many demons.
Do Any Other Gospels Contain This Same Account?
Matthew 13 and Mark 6 also contains an account of Jesus’s rejection in Nazareth. In Matthew, the people are offended at his amazingly wise teaching and ask, “Isn’t this the carpenter’s son? Isn’t his mother’s name Mary, and aren’t his brothers James, Joseph, Simon and Judas? Aren’t all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all these things?” (Matthew 13:55-56).
In Mark 6:1-6, the account is much the same.
Both account note that Jesus could do very few miracles there in Nazareth, and that Jesus states this is because it is his hometown.
As Mark 6:6 notes, Jesus “was amazed at their lack of faith.”
Why Did the People of Nazareth Reject Jesus?
The people of Nazareth rejected Jesus for a few reasons. First, they knew Jesus already, or at least knew of him. They likely found it improbable, if not impossible, for God to have raised up one of their own as the Messiah.
Second, they were hardened by a preexisting perspective of what the Messiah “should” be like, and it certainly wasn’t Jesus. Many Jews at the time believed the Messiah would be a great military leader, or that it was the wrong time for a Messiah to come, as the second temple was still standing. Jesus, however, was a local boy standing before them, using fancy words and claiming to be the fulfillment of Scripture.
Third, they seemed to have a major problem with faith, though whether that was because they knew Jesus already, because their skepticism was so strong, or because of some other heart issue, we do not know. Either way, their lack of faith prevented them from seeing clearly and receiving the good news.
Where Else Does Jesus Encounter Lack of Faith?
Jesus often encountered lack of faith throughout his ministry. For instance, in Matthew 8, Jesus and the disciples were on a boat in the lake, and Jesus was sleeping. Terrified, the disciples woke Jesus up, crying for him to save them because they were going to drown. Jesus woke up, asking, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” then calmed the storm (Matthew 8:26).
In Mark 9, Jesus encounters a boy possessed by a demon. His father pleads with Jesus, stating, “if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.”
Jesus seems to bristle at this.
“‘If you can?’ said Jesus. ‘Everything is possible for one who believes.’ Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, ‘I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!’” (Mark 9:23-24).
Jesus then heals the boy.
In Matthew 17, this story includes additional details. The disciples wondered why they couldn’t drive out the boy’s demon, why only Jesus could do so.
“He replied, ‘Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you’” (Matthew 17:20).
Clearly lack of faith is a problem that interferes with miracles and more. As the saying goes, faith moves mountains.
Lack of faith, then, means the mountains might not move.
What Does This Teach Us Today about Faith, Skepticism, and Persistence?
Today, just as in the days Jesus walked this earth, people can be blind to truths others see so easily. Sometimes, our experiences cause this, and other times, it’s our prejudices.
Jesus’s rejection in Nazareth teaches us that we should open our eyes and hearts to the possibility of miracles even when they don’t seem possible.
We can also learn from how Jesus himself handled his rejection. Instead of simply accepting their rejection, he spoke anyway. He didn’t tell himself before speaking to them, “Oh, they won’t accept my words because I’m a local.” He spoke the truth anyway and gave them the opportunity.
When he faced rejection, he challenged them with other biblical examples designed to open their eyes. He challenged their assumptions and attempted to help them see, anyway.
Finally, he embraced his rejection. He didn’t allow it to stop him. Scripture tells us he simply went on his way and continued his ministry elsewhere.
We, too, should do the same when we experience rejection.
So whether you are like Jesus, facing rejection in your circle, or like the Nazarenes, doubting something miraculous simply because you think you know better, allow this Scripture to permeate your heart and mind so God can teach you what you need to learn.
Photo credit: ©Getty Images/katleho Seisa
