Matthew 13:53 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And when Jesus had finished these parables, he went away from there,

NIV: When Jesus had finished these parables, he moved on from there.

NASB: When Jesus had finished these parables, He departed from there.

CSB: When Jesus had finished these parables, he left there.

NLT: When Jesus had finished telling these stories and illustrations, he left that part of the country.

KJV: And it came to pass, that when Jesus had finished these parables, he departed thence.

NKJV: Now it came to pass, when Jesus had finished these parables, that He departed from there.

Matthew concludes his description of Jesus' teaching of the parables first to a large crowd gathered on the shore of the Sea of Galilee (Matthew 13:1–2) and then to His own disciples gathered in a house (Matthew 13:36). After Jesus had finished, He went away, likely meaning he left Capernaum, Jesus' adopted hometown. Matthew wrote earlier that Jesus left His original hometown of Nazareth to move to "Capernaum by the sea" (Matthew 4:13) and also that Capernaum had become Jesus' "own city" (Matthew 9:1).

The following verses describe what happened when Jesus returned to visit His original hometown of Nazareth. An English proverb is that "familiarity breeds contempt," and this is exactly what Christ experiences among those who think they already know Him.

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.

Accessed 5/5/2024 2:04:55 AM