Luke 4:14–30
14 And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and a report about him went out through all the surrounding country. 15 And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified by all.
16 And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. And as was his custom, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and he stood up to read. 17 And the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written,
18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives
and recovering of sight to the blind,
to set at liberty those who are oppressed,
19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”
20 And he rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. 21 And he began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” 22 And all spoke well of him and marveled at the gracious words that were coming from his mouth. And they said, “Is not this Joseph’s son?” 23 And he said to them, “Doubtless you will quote to me this proverb, ‘“Physician, heal yourself.” What we have heard you did at Capernaum, do here in your hometown as well.’” 24 And he said, “Truly, I say to you, no prophet is acceptable in his hometown. 25 But in truth, I tell you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heavens were shut up three years and six months, and a great famine came over all the land, 26 and Elijah was sent to none of them but only to Zarephath, in the land of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow. 27 And there were many lepers1 in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha, and none of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian.” 28 When they heard these things, all in the synagogue were filled with wrath. 29 And they rose up and drove him out of the town and brought him to the brow of the hill on which their town was built, so that they could throw him down the cliff. 30 But passing through their midst, he went away.
1 Leprosy was a term for several skin diseases; see Leviticus 13
Section Overview
Jesus returns from the wilderness in the power of the Spirit, and his fame spreads as he teaches in the synagogues of Galilee. Luke then features Jesus’ coming to Nazareth, his hometown, as the first public report of his ministry (4:16–30), and the narrative here is programmatic for both Luke and Acts. Jesus attends synagogue worship on the Sabbath and is invited to read. He turns to Isaiah 61, claiming that he is the Spirit-anointed One, the one bringing good news to Israel, the one who will fulfill the promises of the new exodus in Isaiah. It is as if the camera is set on slow motion: all are staring at Jesus and impressed with his gracious words.
But then their commendation turns to doubt, as they consider that Jesus is a mere commoner, the son of Joseph. Apparently the people do not think that Jesus’ works match the reports of what he has done elsewhere. Jesus retorts that a prophet is not accepted in his hometown, finding precedent in the ministries of Elijah and Elisha, who were sent to Gentiles rather than Jews—which forecasts what will happen in Luke-Acts as many Jews reject the message and the gospel goes to the Gentiles. In fact, Acts concludes with this very theme (Acts 28:23–28). Those in the Nazareth synagogue are infuriated with what Jesus says, and they attempt to throw him off a cliff—but he walks through the middle of them and departs.
Section Outline
III. Jesus Proclaims Salvation in Galilee by the Power of the Spirit (4:14–9:50)
A. Proclaiming the Good News in Galilee (4:14–5:16)
1. The Spirit-Anointed One (4:14–30)
Response
Are you imprisoned and bound by sin? The Lord Jesus, the Spirit-anointed Messiah, can free you. He can bring victory where there has only been constant defeat. He can break your slavery to sin and bring you freedom. Or perhaps you feel you are in spiritual darkness and gloom. Can you believe a glimmer of light will begin to shine for you? Jesus can bring light and radiance where there is only darkness and gloom. Or maybe you feel crushed and beaten in your life. Jesus can bring you relief so that you experience the Lord’s favor. He can lift the heaviest load and give you rest.
People often say, “Oh, if only I could have walked and talked with Jesus!” We are often guilty of sentimentality, for virtually none of those who walked and talked with Jesus believed he was the Messiah. Thus there is no reason to think we would have been his followers either. Most likely, if we had walked and talked with Jesus, we would have opposed him. We can think of another application for today: hundreds of colleges and universities in our country were founded as Christian colleges, but many of them have abandoned the faith. They now scorn Christianity and the claims of Christ. Similarly, it is too common for someone to grow up in a Christian home but end up rejecting the gospel. Let us pray that the Lord Jesus will give us eyes to see, so that we are not blinded to the truth before us.
Leprosy was a term for several skin diseases; see Leviticus 13
4:14–15 Jesus has been anointed with the Spirit at his baptism (Luke 3:22), and he was also full of the Spirit and led by the Spirit to be tempted in the wilderness (4:1). After his testing in the wilderness, he returns home to Galilee and begins his ministry “in the power of the Spirit.” Power is associated with the Spirit, and such power is evident in both Jesus’ teaching and his miracles (cf. 1:17; 24:39). We would expect a messianic ministry to begin in Jerusalem, the center of religious authority and power, but Jesus’ work commences in a location disdained by those of influence (John 1:46; 7:52).
Luke does not report details here of what Jesus says and does but instead summarizes the extent and effect of his ministry (cf. 5:15; 7:17; Matt. 9:26; Mark 1:28). Jesus ministers in Galilee, and his fame spreads rapidly in the region. He regularly visits synagogues at which Jews gather every Sabbath to worship. Luke centers on Jesus’ teaching in the synagogues, though here he does not fill in the content of what he teaches (though the rest of the Gospel provides more detail). The people are impressed and praise Jesus for his remarkable ministry.
4:16–17 The previous verses set the stage for Jesus’ teaching in Nazareth (Luke 4:16–30), which is a programmatic story for both Luke and Acts. We already know from 4:14–15 that this is not the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry, but it is Luke’s first narrative of Jesus’ ministry. What is fascinating is that Luke does not select an instance in which Jesus is praised by all. Instead the narrative concludes with Jesus’ own hometown trying to put him to death. Luke forecasts the outcome of Jesus’ entire ministry; we see here the shadow of the cross.
The event takes place in Nazareth, where Jesus grew up, where the people know him very well, as it is a small town of about four hundred people (cf. Matt. 2:23; 21:11; Mark 1:9, 24; Luke 1:26; 2:39, 51; 4:34). Nazareth seems to have been “quite poor, since excavations have uncovered no paved streets, public structures and inscriptions, or fine pottery.” Nathaniel summarizes the view of most about Nazareth: “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” (John 1:46). Jesus’ habit, doubtless practiced since his youth, is to attend synagogue services on the Sabbath (cf. Acts 13:14; 15:21; Josephus, Against Apion 2.17). From what we know of synagogue services, the Law and the Prophets would typically be read, and Jesus is apparently invited to read and speak. He is given a scroll of Isaiah and turns to Isaiah 61—we do not know if the reading is assigned or if Jesus chooses it himself, but the latter seems more likely.
4:18–19 Jesus is anointed with the Spirit (Luke 3:22), is full of the Spirit and led by the Spirit (4:1), and enjoys the power of the Spirit (4:14). Jesus begins by citing Isaiah 61:1, asserting that the Lord’s Spirit rests on him (cf. Isa. 11:1–2) and has anointed him. Jesus suggests here (cf. also Luke 3:22) that he is the servant of the Lord of Isaiah (Isa. 42:1–4; 49:1–6; 52:13–53:12), that the new exodus—the major theme of Isaiah 40–66—has arrived in his person (Isa. 11:11–15; 40:3–11; 42:16; 43:2, 5–7, 16–19, 49:6–11; 51:10). The “good news” Jesus proclaims is really another way of referencing the new exodus (Isa. 40:9; 52:7), the redemption and restoration of Israel. The poor are those who are materially poor, but material poverty is not the only meaning, for it points also to those who depend upon the Lord, those who realize they require God’s help (Luke 1:52; 6:20; 9:48).
Jesus has been sent by God to herald freedom to those who are captives. For some reason the phrase “to bind up the brokenhearted” is skipped, and it seems it would have fit beautifully, though it is difficult to know why it is omitted. In any case, release for those who are imprisoned is not literal, since Jesus never frees prisoners in his ministry. The word for “release” (Gk. aphesis) is used fifteen times in Leviticus 25 LXX for describing the year of Jubilee, when all debts are removed, slaves are freed, and people return to their property—evoking the exodus, in which Israel is liberated from bondage and brought into the land. In every other instance in Luke-Acts this word is used for forgiveness of sins (Luke 1:77; 3:3; 24:47; Acts 2:38; 5:31; 10:43; 13:38; 26:18). Thus Jesus comes especially to proclaim forgiveness to those captive to and imprisoned by their sin, and the reference to forgiveness of sins helps us see that the “poor” in the first line cannot be limited to the materially poor.
Jesus also, as the Spirit-anointed One, grants sight to the blind. He often heals the blind in his ministry so that they are able to see again (Luke 7:21–22; 18:35–42). Blindness may also be attributed to sin (Deut. 28:29), and thus Jesus also restores those who are spiritually blind. We see that when Jesus heals a blind man, that man responds by following Jesus as his disciple (Luke 18:35–43; cf. 1:79; 10:23–24). Jesus also appeals to Isaiah 58:6, saying that he has come to free the oppressed. Probably Luke mixes in here part of what Jesus says in his exposition of Isaiah 61, in which Jesus clearly draws on Isaiah 58:6 as well. It is even possible that the citation of Isaiah 58:6 represents the interpretation of the healing of the brokenhearted—the line omitted earlier. The liberty referred to here again reminds us of the Jubilee of Leviticus 25. The oppression here includes that by demons, enemies, and sin.
The citation from Isaiah 61:1–2 concludes with a reference to the year of the Lord’s favor. Once again this may be an allusion to the Jubilee (Lev. 25:10). The Jubilee is the year of the Lord’s favor for his people, the time of salvation, freedom for prisoners, and return from exile (Isa. 49:8–12). “The Jubilee imagery is therefore intended to evoke images of eschatological redemption rather than temporal social and political reform.” Jesus stops before mentioning “the day of vengeance of our God” (Isa. 61:2). This is not because he does not believe such vengeance is coming, as we see clearly in Luke 21:22, in which Jesus refers to “days of vengeance, to fulfill all that is written.” We have already seen Jesus skip another line from Isaiah 61:1 as well. Still, it seems significant that no reference to vengeance is made here. First is the opportunity for salvation; the day of vengeance is later. Israel and all people are given an opportunity to repent before judgment comes.
4:20–21 Luke slows down the action by describing each thing Jesus does: he rolls up the scroll, hands it to the attendant, and then sits down, the normal posture for teaching in the synagogue and elsewhere (cf. Luke 5:3; Matt. 5:1; 23:2; 26:55). Everyone’s eyes are fixed on Jesus, and they pay close attention to his words (cf. Luke 22:56; Acts 1:10; 3:4, 12; 6:15; 7:55; 10:4; 11:6; 13:9; 14:9; 23:1). Luke elaborates not on Jesus’ exposition but on his claim that the promises he has read from Isaiah are fulfilled “today.” We saw earlier how the word “today” signals salvation-historical fulfillment in Luke (cf. Luke 2:11–12; 5:26; 19:5, 9; 23:43). The great covenant promises given to Israel are realized in Jesus (24:44).
4:22 The response to Jesus is initially positive. The people are astonished by the words bringing grace to hearers (cf. 2:47; 4:32, 36; 20:26). But the mood turns sour as they reflect on his common birth, that he is Joseph’s son. Some commentators do not think this is a negative assessment, but the parallel Mark 6:1–6a shows that they are turning against Jesus. In the Markan account Jesus is initially welcomed because of his words and miracles. But his hometown turns against him when it considers his family (cf. also Matt. 13:53–58). Even those in small towns can become snobbish and elitist and jealous when one from their own circle prospers.
4:23–24 Jesus responds to their resistance by quoting a proverb: “Physician, heal yourself.” What is meant by the proverb is clear from the next line: if Jesus is truly who he says he is, then the people will think he needs to replicate what they have heard he has done in Capernaum (cf. Matt. 11:23; Mark 1:21; 2:1; 9:33; Luke 4:31; 7:1; 10:15). They are offended because Jesus does not do the same miracles he has performed in Capernaum. Jesus identifies what is going on in Nazareth. A prophet is not welcomed in his hometown (cf. John 4:44). They think they truly know Jesus and cannot believe the Lord is working in him.
4:25–27 Jesus is not accepted at home, and his rejection replicates a pattern reaching back to the OT. The people of God rarely receive divine messengers. This programmatic text anticipates the message of Luke-Acts, in which Israel largely (though not completely) rejects the good news, whereas many Gentiles are inducted into the people of God. Jesus offers two examples here, one from the life of Elijah and the other from that of Elisha. During the days of Elijah, Israel experienced a drought for three and a half years (1 Kings 17–18). The drought came because of Israel’s sin, representing one of the curses of the covenant (Deut. 11:17; 28:23–24; 1 Kings 8:35). The Lord acted in a surprising way, sending Elijah to the widow of Zarephath, a Sidonian (1 Kings 17:8–24), instead of to widows in Israel. Similarly, Elisha healed Naaman the Syrian instead of any lepers in Israel (2 Kings 5), even though there were many lepers there. Jesus’ point is clear: those who have the greatest privileges often do not respond to the message of salvation. And those we think will never respond may in fact repent and believe.
4:28–30 Those in the synagogue who hear Jesus’ response are enraged and infuriated. They are scandalized that this young upstart should correct and reprove them, and they probably reject Jesus as a false prophet (Deut. 13:1–5). They are self-assured of their privilege over against Gentiles and find it unconscionable that anyone should challenge their unique status. They respond by driving Jesus out of town and to the edge of a cliff, where they can throw him down. Their insane anger forecasts Jesus’ death, in which the chosen people crucify their Messiah (cf. Luke 20:15). They attempt to put Jesus to death, but when he is at the edge of the cliff he walks right through them and departs. We do not know exactly how this worked, but I suspect there was a fear of Jesus—an awesomeness about his person so that no one dared put his hands on him (cf. John 7:30, 45–46). Such a view assumes they did not grab him and bring him to brow of the hill but rather that he walked away from them as they initially pursued him. In any case, however we envision the story, it is destined for Jesus to die in Jerusalem (Luke 13:33) and nowhere else.