Jesus Experiences Rejection! Matthew 13:53-58

 A Prophet Without Honor

The people of Nazareth are surprised that one of their own could do such amazing things. 

53 When Jesus had finished these parables, he moved on from there. 

Jesus travels to Nazareth.  Nazareth was about 12 miles inland Southwest of the Sea of Galilee, where he stayed in Capernaum. 

"Namely, Nazareth: but with no better success than he had had there before: for though he preached in their synagogue with such wisdom and eloquence that they were astonished, and also performed some miracles, yet the Nazarenes were not disposed to believe on him, taking offence at the poverty and meanness of his family and relations." (Benson)

54 Coming to his hometown, he began teaching the people in their synagogue, and they were amazed. “Where did this man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers?” they asked. 

This was a similar response to the first time he was there, though he was a young man at that time.  

"Because these villagers were familiar with Jesus as a boy and accustomed to unspectacular things from Him, we may conclude that Jesus must have grown up a very normal boy unlike the fantastic stories told in apocryphal books like The Infancy of Jesus." (Guzik)

This points out to us just how ordinary Jesus was. It would have been easy for Jesus, the Son of God, to get offended by such comments, but he didn't.  Though Jesus was rejected many times, he knew it was not about him, but about those who failed to see who he really was. 

55 “Isn’t this the carpenter’s son? Isn’t his mother’s name Mary, and aren’t his brothers James, Joseph, Simon and Judas? 

Again, we see the humble and human nature of Jesus.  It is so hard to fathom that the Son of God and the Son of Man could come into the world and grow up in a town like Nazareth. He had a family with siblings like many of us.  His dad was a carpenter and he had a family with brothers and sisters.  I wonder if there was "sibling rivalry".  LOL.  

This is another reason for why Christianity is true.  Who would ever invented a story of God coming to be among his people in this way.  It is totally antithetical to a prophet in any other religion. Buddha was born into a wealthy family, and Muhammed married a wealthy widow as his first wives.  

"This was, on the part of the Saviour, an example of great condescension and humility. It staggers the faith of many that the Son of God should labour in an occupation so obscure and lowly. The infidel sneers at the idea that "He that made the worlds" should live thirty years in humble life as a poor and unknown mechanic." Barnes

56 Aren’t all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all these things?” 

We see Jesus had sisters as well.  The sisters are also mentioned in the parallel passage in Mark 3:32.  Most commentators think there were not less than three. 

What were these things?

"Whence then hath this man all these things? His wisdom and his mighty works; for since he had not them from any of their schools, and nurseries of learning, from their learned doctors and wise men; and could not have received them from his parents, and near relations, they could not devise from whence he should have them." (Gill)

57 And they took offense at him. But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own town and in his own home.”

This is an amazing statement.  Instead of being proud that such a powerful prophet and rabbi came from their own town, they were offended by him.  How could this be?  The only real answer is they were prideful and prejudiced regarding his humble upbringing.  

"They upbraid him, Is not this the carpenter's son? Yes, it is true he was reputed to be so; and no disgrace to be the son of an honest tradesman; they should have respected him the more because he was one of themselves, but therefore they despised him. He did not many mighty works there, because of their unbelief. Unbelief is the great hinderance to Christ's favours." (Henry)

58 And he did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith.

Jesus wanted to do miracles in his hometown, but he could not.  There is usually a connection between miracles and faith.  Not that Jesus could not do miracles without faith, as he has done this before, but faith is obviously important to Jesus.  Why?  Because faith is trust in Him and His Father.  Because Jesus did not come to do miracles to dazzle people, but to lead them to His Father in heaven.  

Jesus' miracles, also called "signs", as they were always designed to point to the power of the kingdom of God, which had come through him.  It is the same today.  When a healing or miracle occurs, of course it is good for the recipient, but in the end we all still die.  The greatest miracle is eternal life through what Jesus did for us on the cross, which is received only through faith.  

Barnes also refers to the ultimate purpose in the miracles leading to saving faith when he writes, 

"It would have been of no use, therefore, in proving to them that he was from God, to have worked miracles. He did, therefore, only those things which were the proper work of benevolence, and which could not easily be charged on the devil. He gave "sufficient" proof of his mission, and left them in their chosen unbelief without excuse." (Barnes)

Do you believe Jesus can do miracles through us today? Why or why not?  Do people ever get offended by you because of your representation of Christ?  If you are rejected because of Christ living and working through you, is it the same as the other rejection you might have faced in your life?  

Point to remember:  Jesus was an ordinary person that God used for extraordinary purposes.  He came from a very humble background.  No matter who you are, what you do for a living, or where you came from, God can use you in mighty ways!