What does Luke 4:20 mean?
In ancient Jewish synagogues, various men would stand to read a section of the Old Testament, then sit to give their interpretation. Jesus is visiting His childhood hometown of Nazareth and participating in this practice (Luke 4:16). His chosen passage was from Isaiah 61:1–2 (Luke 4:17–19). Jesus read the part of Isaiah's prophecy explaining the positive aspects of Messiah's work. However, He stopped reading before speaking about the judgment God would send. The reason for this choice becomes clear as Jesus gives His explanation (Luke 4:21).When Christ began His public preaching ministry, it was met with an initially positive response (Luke 4:14–15). The people in this synagogue are likely anticipating Jesus' words, looking forward to what He might say. At the same time, many of those present would have known Jesus during His childhood. They will struggle to accept that someone they know—a boy living in an obscure place—could be anything of importance (Luke 4:22).
Luke 4:14–30 records the earliest days of Jesus' public ministry. He begins teaching in synagogues before returning to His hometown of Nazareth. There, He reads a prophecy from Isaiah and claims that He has fulfilled it. When those familiar with Him imply that Jesus has no place making such claims, Jesus implies that God will send signs to Gentiles if Israel refuses to believe. This results in an uproar, though Jesus makes what seems to be a miraculous escape.
Jesus is taken into the wilderness by the Holy Spirit. While fasting there, He is tempted by Satan. These temptations share an element of ignoring God in favor of what seems easier or quicker. Jesus resists all of these, citing Scripture as He does. When Jesus returns, He preaches and heals to great publicity in Judea and Galilee. While His hometown responds with stubborn skepticism, others are eager to hear His teaching and experience His miraculous power.
