Matthew 13:55 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Is not this the carpenter 's son? Is not his mother called Mary? And are not his brothers James and Joseph and Simon and Judas?

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

NASB: Is this not the carpenter’s son? Is His mother not called Mary, and His brothers, James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas?

CSB: Isn’t this the carpenter’s son? Isn’t his mother called Mary, and his brothers James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas?

NLT: Then they scoffed, 'He’s just the carpenter’s son, and we know Mary, his mother, and his brothers — James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas.

KJV: Is not this the carpenter's son? is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas?

NKJV: Is this not the carpenter’s son? Is not His mother called Mary? And His brothers James, Joses, Simon, and Judas?

Jesus has returned to His childhood hometown of Nazareth. He has taught in the synagogue and has likely performed some miracles, the very things which have caused huge crowds to follow Him around Galilee for some time. Here in Nazareth, though, the people are offended by Jesus (Matthew 13:57).

The questions being asked here are not worshipful or sincere. Rather, they're dismissive, even sarcastic. The tone of their response is along the lines of saying, "who does Jesus think He is? We know this guy. Where did He come up with all of this?" Their response to Jesus is to ignore what's happening by saying, "oh, I already know what I think about Him."

As in Mark's gospel, the townspeople point out that they saw Jesus growing up. Most likely, both Jesus and Joseph worked as craftsmen in that region (Mark 6:3). Historians suggest there might have been high demand for masons and carpenters in Nazareth when Jesus was growing up to rebuild a nearby city that had burned. Joseph's adopted son Jesus likely worked in the same profession before beginning His public ministry and moving away. It's possible that Joseph has died by this time, but the people still remember him.

In the same way, the people declare that they know Jesus' family. They know Him as the son Mary and brother to her other sons, James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas. Jesus is normally described as a half-brother to those four, since He was conceived by the Holy Spirit (Matthew 1:18) and the others were born in normal fashion to Joseph and Mary.

In short, the townspeople declare that since they already know who Jesus is—a carpenter's son and normal resident—there is no reason to think He could be anything else. Certainly, it's not possible He could be powerful or important. Whether it is this same visit or not, Luke describes a moment when the people of Nazareth attempt to kill Jesus, in part, for claiming to be the Messiah (Luke 4:16–29).

No matter how powerful His preaching or miracles might be, Jesus will never be accepted by those who insist they know better. Even today, believers and non-believers alike often cling to inaccurate ideas about Christ. In their minds, they "already know" Jesus, and have nothing to learn.

Matthew 13:53–58 describes Jesus' trip to His hometown of Nazareth. The people are astonished at His teaching and miracles, but they do not respect Him. Instead, they ask where His wisdom and power come from. Many of these people would have known Jesus from His youth, and they know His earthly family. That includes Jesus' mother and half-siblings. Rather than accept His words, the hometown crowd is offended. So, Jesus refuses to do many miracles because of their unbelief. Because the people think they already everything about Jesus, they ignore His actual message.

Matthew 13 follows Jesus from the overcrowded house at the end of the previous chapter to a crowded beach on the Sea of Galilee. He teaches a large crowd in a series of parables, which He doesn't fully explain. However, He reveals their meaning to His disciples inside a nearby house. Jesus pictures the kingdom of heaven as a sower, a sabotaged field of wheat, a mustard seed, and a pearl dealer, among other things. He then travels to His original hometown of Nazareth where He is rejected by the people He grew up with. This leads Matthew back to depictions of Jesus' miracles, after sadly recording John the Baptist's death.

The Gospel of Matthew clearly shows the influence of its writer's background, and his effort to reach a specific audience. Matthew was one of Jesus' twelve disciples, a Jewish man, and a former tax collector. This profession would have required literacy, and Matthew may have transcribed some of Jesus' words as they were spoken. This book is filled with references to the Old Testament, demonstrating to Israel that Jesus is the Promised One. Matthew also includes many references to coins, likely due to his former profession. Matthew records extensive accounts of Jesus' teaching, more than the other three Gospels.