Matthew 13:57 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And they took offense at him. But Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown and in his own household."

NIV: 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."

NASB: And they took offense at Him. But Jesus said to them, 'A prophet is not dishonored except in his hometown and in his own household.'

CSB: And they were offended by him. Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown and in his household."

NLT: And they were deeply offended and refused to believe in him. Then Jesus told them, 'A prophet is honored everywhere except in his own hometown and among his own family.'

KJV: And they were offended in him. But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, save in his own country, and in his own house.

NKJV: So they were offended at Him. But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own country and in his own house.”

The people of the town Jesus grew up in, Nazareth, took offense at Him. Scripture records that they were "astonished" by His wisdom and His mighty works. However, this was not an amazement leading to sincere questions or belief. Rather, it was offense. In their minds, they already knew who Jesus was, based on His childhood. They were not only disinterested in more information; they were insulted at the idea that someone like Jesus could be so important. The sense of this passage is that the Nazarenes thought the hometown boy was trying to rise above His place.

Luke describes their rejection as happening for a more specific reason and with more dire consequences. Whether it was the same visit or another one, the people flew into a rage after Jesus claimed to be the fulfillment of one of Isaiah's prophecies about the Messiah. He compared them to those in the Old Testament Scriptures who were not miraculously saved by God. They tried to throw Jesus off a cliff (Luke 4:16–29)! Whatever the reason for their offense at Jesus, He responded to them by comparing Himself to the Old Testament prophets: "A prophet is not without honor, except in his hometown and among his relatives and in his own household" (Mark 6:4).

This phenomenon is partly summed up in the English expression "familiarity breeds contempt." When we're exposed to certain things, we tend to take them for granted. That can either mean missing their value, or letting our assumptions become dogmatic. Many people have misconceptions about faith, and about Jesus Christ. When the truth is presented, such people often become offended—they don't like to be told their perception of Christ is wrong. Rather than respond to evidence, they dismiss it as if to say, "I don't know where you came up with that, but I already know what I need to know."

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 focuses mainly on a series of parables. Jesus first describes these to a large crowd along the shore of the Sea of Galilee. Later, in a house, He explains to the disciples the meanings of the parables of the sower, the weeds, and the fish caught in the net. Jesus then travels to Nazareth, teaches in the synagogue, and is rejected by the people of His original hometown.

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.