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“Is Not This the Carpenter’s Son?”
This chapter is based on Luke 4:16-30.
One shadow intruded on the bright days of Christ’s ministry
in Galilee—the people of Nazareth rejected Him. “Is this not the
carpenter’s son?” they said.
Matthew 13:55
. During His youth, Jesus
had worshiped among His friends and family in the synagogue at
Nazareth. Since the beginning of His ministry, He had been away
from them, but when He appeared again, their expectations rose to
the highest pitch. Here were the familiar faces He had known from
infancy. Here were His mother, His brothers and sisters, and all eyes
turned toward Him as He entered the synagogue on the Sabbath and
took His place among the worshipers.
In the regular service, the elder urged the people still to hope
for the Coming One who would reign gloriously and banish all
oppression. He tried to encourage his hearers by going over the
evidence that the Messiah’s coming was near. He emphasized the
thought that He would lead armies to deliver Israel.
When a rabbi was present, he was expected to deliver the sermon,
and any Israelite could give the reading from the prophets. On this
Sabbath, Jesus was asked to take part in the service. He “stood up
to read. And He was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah.” The
scripture He read was understood as referring to the Messiah:
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me,
Because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor;
He has sent Me to heal the broken-hearted,
To preach deliverance to the captives
And recovery of sight to the blind,
To set at liberty those who are oppressed,
To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.
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