Luke 4:24 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And he said, “Truly, I say to you, no prophet is acceptable in his hometown.

NIV: Truly I tell you,' he continued, 'no prophet is accepted in his hometown.

NASB: But He said, 'Truly I say to you, no prophet is welcome in his hometown.

CSB: He also said, "Truly I tell you, no prophet is accepted in his hometown.

NLT: But I tell you the truth, no prophet is accepted in his own hometown.

KJV: And he said, Verily I say unto you, No prophet is accepted in his own country.

NKJV: Then He said, “Assuredly, I say to you, no prophet is accepted in his own country.

When visiting His childhood home of Nazareth (Luke 4:15–21), Jesus made bold statements about His role as the Messiah. The people's response was skeptical; they could only see Jesus as another ordinary, unimportant Nazarene (Mark 6:1–3). This inspires Jesus' remark, which parallels the English proverb "familiarity breeds contempt." The people assume that because they watched Jesus growing up, He must not be special. In their minds, the Messiah is supposed to be a mysterious, mystical figure (John 7:27). The person speaking now, to them, is merely the son of Mary and Joseph (Matthew 13:55).

Though the people are skeptical, they have been positive about Jesus' teaching, so far (Luke 4:22). That will change drastically when Jesus points out that God will send His messengers to Gentiles when Israel refuses to listen (Luke 4:25–27). These Nazarene neighbors will become violently enraged (Luke 4:28–30).

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.

Chapter 3 explained how John the Baptist preached to prepare others to receive Jesus Christ. Luke then provided Jesus' earthly ancestry. Chapter 4 begins with Jesus in the wilderness being tempted by Satan. He returns to preach and perform healing miracles in Judea and Galilee. Chapter 5 shows Him calling disciples and demonstrating further proofs of His authority.

Luke was a traveling companion of Paul (Acts 16:10) and a physician (Colossians 4:14). Unlike Matthew, Mark, and John, Luke writes his gospel as an historian, rather than as a first-hand eyewitness. His extensive writings also include the book of Acts (Acts 1:1–3). These are deliberately organized, carefully researched accounts of those events. The gospel of Luke focuses on the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ. Luke's Gentile perspective presents Christ as a Savior for all people, offering both forgiveness and direction to those who follow Him.

Accessed 4/29/2024 8:08:42 AM