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- QUESTION
Luke's Account of Jesus' Rejection at Nazareth
Unit 6: Essay: Luke's Account of Jesus' Rejection at Nazareth
In the prologue of the gospel (1:1-4), the writer of Luke acknowledges his reliance on others as sources of information about Jesus and his ministry. It is unclear whether what Luke calls "ministers of the word" are oral or written sources, or a combination. Most interpreters believe that Mark's Gospel is one of these sources based on close agreement in wording where parallels exist. Recall that Mark's Gospel is believed to be a source used by the writer of Matthew for the same reason. Yet, the narrative of Luke does not parallel Mark as closely as Matthew does. This is quite evident in Luke 4-9. Here we see sections of narrative with parallels in Mark (Luke 4:14-6:19; 8:4-9:50) separated by a block of traditions about Jesus not recorded in Mark (6:20-8:3). Luke's expansion and relocation of Mark's account of Jesus' rejection at Nazareth begins this section of narrative.
Luke's account of Jesus' teaching at the synagogue in Nazareth (4:16-30) is over twice as long as parallel accounts in Mark (6:1-6a) and Matthew (13:54-58). Compare the accounts of this event in Mark and Luke. (A link to a PDF of these passages in a parallel format is at the bottom of this page). Luke's placement of this tradition at the beginning of Jesus' public ministry rather than in the middle of it has led some interpreters to describe Luke 4:16-30 a programmatic discourse, that is, a discourse that introduces themes which the subsequent narrative develops and elaborates. Luke then reports Jesus ministering in Capernaum and surrounding areas in Galilee (4:31-44) before calling disciples (5:1-11), which varies from the order of events in Mark.
- Compare Luke's account of Jesus' teaching at Nazareth with parallel accounts in Mark and Matthew. Note the ways that Jesus uses Old Testament scripture to link himself with Hebrew prophets in Luke's version of this episode. What response of the synagogue audience to Jesus reported by Mark and Matthew is absent in Luke's account? How do the events subsequently recounted in Luke 4:31-44 establish Jesus, like prophets before him, as a prophet "in word and in deed"? Note how this understanding of Jesus is voiced at the end of the gospel in Luke 24:19. Read the interpretative note for this verse in NISB.
- Identify themes introduced in Luke's expanded account of Jesus in Nazareth that are developed or elaborated in the narrative sections that follow: the sections with parallels in Mark and the section without parallels in Mark (6:20-8:3). Note that the content of the latter section is a mix of Q tradition (see Box 4.8 in Powell) and tradition unique to Luke (see Box 7.1 in Powell). For example, what actions and words of Jesus in these sections of narrative recall the words of Isaiah that Jesus recites and applies to himself in Nazareth?
- Israel's rejection of prophets sent by God is a recurring topic in sayings of Jesus common to Matthew and Luke, that is, the hypothetical source text known as Q. We have already examined contexts in which these sayings occur in Matthew. Note where this topic comes into focus in Luke 6:20-8:3. What sayings or actions of Jesus recounted here relate to his response to those who rejected him in Nazareth?
- Preceding this narrative section is Luke's account of John the Baptist's activity and people's response to him (3:1-20). Immediately following it is Luke's account of Jesus sending out seventy in mission with instructions about what to say and do, including how to respond to rejection (10:1-16). (See interpretative note for this passage in NISB.) How does Luke present John as a prophetic forerunner of Jesus and the mission of the seventy as an extension of Jesus' own prophetic ministry? Note instances where Jewish rejection of God's prophets coincides with acceptance of them by Gentiles and other "outsiders." How might the prophetic activity of John, Jesus, and the seventy inform our understanding of ministry and mission today?
Incorporate your answers to these questions in an essay on the topic, Luke's Account of Jesus' Rejection at Nazareth. Length: 850-1000 words.
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Answer
Luke's Account of Jesus Rejection at Nazareth
Compare Luke's Account of Jesus Teachings at Nazareth
In the book of Luke, Jesus demonstrates that he is a Hebrew prophet and reads Isaiah’s prophetic scrolls to the people of Nazareth to support his claim. In Isaiah’s scrolls, the words state that the spirit of the Lord is with him and he has been chosen as a prophet to spread God's words to the poor, the blind, the captives, and the oppressed. In his message, Jesus proclaims that the time has come when the Lord will save his people. Jesus links himself to the Hebrew prophets when he states that the passage in Isaiah's scrolls has come true. The people of Nazareth were amazed by Jesus proclamation that he had been chosen to spread the gospel of the Holy Ghost to the world. In the accounts of Luke, Matthew, and Mark the similar event is the rejection of Christ. The people of Nazareth rejected Christ since he was known by the people as the son of man and he had sisters and brothers who were known in the community. The book of Luke differs from Mark and Matthew in the sense that in the script, the people do not ask where Jesus got the wisdom and the power to perform miracles. As the prophets before Jesus performed miracle and rebuked evil spirit as he spread the word of God.
Identify Themes Introduced in Luke's Expanded accounts
In Matthew and Mark, Jesus’ rejection was a sign that the people of Nazareth lack faith. Luke's account of Jesus’ rejection demonstrates that the people had no faith in his declaration since they had known him since childhood. Luke's account establishes that Christ’s rejection as a prophet was experienced by other prophets before his arrival. The people believed that Jesus' words and deeds had power and that they were ordained by God.
Jesus’ mission was to spread the gospel that is regarded as good news. In Nazareth, Jesus explained that God had appointed and anointed him to preach the gospel to the world. The synoptic book’s themes include the doctrine of repentance, baptism and, God's Holiness. The books moreover indicate that Jesus’ mission was authorized by God. The synoptic books also demonstrate that Jesus; redemption, sacrifice, and death on the cross enables the world to become sanctified. The theme of faith is crucial and it is a parallel message in the books of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. The books illustrate that the people shall be sanctified by faith, baptism and, the Holy Ghost to become pure. The major difference in the three books of the gospel is in terms of the massaging to the audience but the principle applied seems to be the same. Mark’s teachings were tailored for the Gentiles while on the other hand, Matthew addressed the concerns of the Jewish community. In this regards, we find that Marks' massages had little appeal to the interests of Luke’s' audience. The main intention of the synoptic books was to effectively teach God's good news by Christ.
Rejection of Prophets sent by God
In response to rejection in Nazareth, Jesus tells the people that a prophet is not accepted in his home town. Jesus demonstrates that he will not perform miracles in Nazareth as he did in Capernaum. In Luke, Jesus recounts the actions of Elijah where he did not perform miracle to his community in Israel. Despite the suffering of his people from dreaded skin disease, Elijah sought to Naaman the Syrian. Jesus furthermore told the people of Nazareth that God also favored the Gentiles and not Jews alone. After Jesus’ responded to the people who rejected, him he left Nazareth and went to Capernaum to perform miracles and offer God's teachings.
How the Prophetic Activity of John, Jesus and the Seventy Inform our understanding
In the book of Luke, John is described as a prophetic forerunner of Jesus since his prophecy indicates that God will send someone Holy to save the world. John told the people that Christ had greater power and ability to sanctify the believer of the Lord’s words. In Luke’s account, John faces persecution the way Jesus and the prophet before him. John was imprisoned by Herod since he rebuked him and preached the Good News to the people. The purpose of John the Baptist in Luke was to prepare for the coming of Christ and preach that Jesus was the true messiah. John described Jesus as the anointed son of God and that in him the people would find redemption and attain eternal life. The purpose of Christ’s coming to earth was to save the faithful believers from sin. In the scriptures of Luke, Jesus and the Seventy had a mission to restore sinners to their God and have eternity with the Lord. The experiences of John, Jesus, and the seventy inform us that we should expect rejection from our audience when we are spreading the word of God. In this case, as the messenger of God's word, we will face persecution but we should not be discouraged.