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Matthew 13:53-58

INTRODUCTION: Today is the last message in our series on the Parables of the Kingdom. Over the past number of weeks, we have been looking at seven parables of Jesus, all from Matthew 13 and all of which tell us about the kingdom of God. We looked at the seventh parable last week, but we have one passage left in our chapter. This final passage tells us what happened when Jesus and his disciples moved on to Jesus’ hometown of Nazareth after he had finished with the parables. (Read Matthew 13:53-58 and pray.)

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This final passage in Matthew 13 passage functions as a hinge passage between chapter 13 which focused on the parables, and chapters 14-17 which focus on miracles and controversy. It is a hinge passage because it relates back to the parables Jesus has just shared while also introducing the theme of miracles and controversy in the chapters to come.

In many ways what happens at Nazareth is an outworking of the parables Jesus has just shared. The parable of the sower tells us that not all receive the gospel message, which is exactly what happens in Nazareth. The parable of the weeds tells us that believers and unbelievers will live together in this world until Christ returns. The parables of the mustard seed and the yeast show us how God’s kingdom starts small but grows big, which we see in Nazareth when Jesus’ own town rejects him. The parables of the treasure and the pearl tell us that only those who treasure Christ truly receive him. The people of Nazareth did not receive Jesus when he came because they did not honor or treasure him. And then finally, the parable of the net speaks of God’s judgment on those who disbelieve. This is prefigured by the lack of miracles in Nazareth due to the people’s lack of faith in Christ.

1) Parable of the Sower > not all receive the gospel message
2) Parable of the weeds > believers and unbelievers live together in this world until Christ returns
3) Parables of the mustard seed and yeast > God’s kingdom starts small but grows big
4) Parables of the treasure and the pearl > Only those who treasure Christ truly receive him
5) Parable of the net > God’s judgment on those who disbelieve as prefigured by lack of miracles in Nazareth

Jesus’ experience at Nazareth is an example of how a prophet is without honor in his hometown. We’ve all heard the saying “familiarity breeds contempt.” When people are familiar with you, they find it easier to discount you. If it happened to Jesus, it can happen to you as well. And through the study of this passage at the end of chapter 13 we arrive at a very simple yet important principle. We all need to give Jesus the honor he deserves.

Our passage this morning has a very simple structure. Jesus goes to his hometown. We see the people’s reaction to him, and then we see Jesus’ response. So, let’s get started.

I. Jesus goes to his hometown (53-54)

First, Jesus goes to his hometown. Jesus has finished speaking the parables to the crowds and disciples and moves on to his hometown of Nazareth. Look at verses 53-54:

When Jesus had finished these parables, he moved on from there. 54 Coming to his hometown, he began teaching the people in their synagogue. (Matthew 13:53-54)

   A. Jesus finishes the parables and goes to Nazareth (53)

Notice the progression here. First Matthew tells us that Jesus finished the parables. The word translated “finished” here is a word that means to complete or fulfill. And so, the idea here is not just that Jesus stopped speaking because he was interrupted or ran out of time, but rather that he completed or fulfilled the set of parables that he intended to share with the crowds and disciples at this time. This affirms to us that the seven parables we find here in Matthew 13 are to be viewed as a unit, that together they teach us essential truths about the kingdom of God. They are truly parables of the kingdom.

Jesus finishes the parables and then goes to Nazareth. Nazareth was his hometown. This was the place where he grew up, the place where his parents lived, the place they eventually returned to after his birth in Bethlehem. It was a small town about 80 miles north of Jerusalem. Nazareth was tiny, out of the way, insignificant. And it was where God chose for Jesus to grow up as a boy.

   B. Jesus begins teaching the people in their synagogue (54)

So, Jesus finishes the parables and goes to Nazareth where he begins teaching the people in their synagogue. The synagogue was central to Jewish community life. This was where the people gathered each week to sing and pray and hear from God’s word.

Jesus was not a trained rabbi, and yet his reputation as a worker of miracles and teacher of crowds would have preceded him. Jesus was something of a celebrity in those days. It would be sort of like a famous actor or singer today returning to his or her small town where they grew up. Everyone would be excited to see them. You can imagine what the headlines in the local papers would read if they had them: “Local boy makes good! Returns home! Speaking in the synagogue this Saturday!”

And so, that’s the first part of our passage this morning. Jesus finishes the parables and returns to his hometown of Nazareth where he begins teaching the people in their synagogue. So far, so good! All is well.

II. The people’s reaction (54-57)

Next, Matthew moves on from setting the scene to telling us the people’s reaction. And, you know what? At first their reaction seems positive. The people are amazed at Jesus’ wisdom and miracles. But then the questioning begins. “Where did he get this wisdom? Where did he get these miraculous powers? We know his family. So where did he get all these things?” And they take offense at him.

   A. They are amazed at his wisdom and miracles (54)
      – 1 Corinthians 1:22-24

First, they are amazed at his wisdom and miracles. Look at verse 54 where Matthew tells us:

He began teaching the people in their synagogue, and they were amazed. “Where did this man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers?” they asked. (Matthew 13:54)

The word translated “amazed” in this verse is a word that means astonished or shocked. It carries the idea of delivering a strike or a blow, leaving an impression. We have a saying nowadays when someone makes an impression. We say, “That’s going to leave a mark!” Well, Jesus’ teaching in the synagogue left a mark. He began teaching the people in their synagogue, and they were amazed.

They were especially amazed at his wisdom and miracles. Wisdom here refers to his teaching and miracles to his actions. Earlier in the gospel Matthew described Jesus’ ministry as teaching in the synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people. (Matthew 4:23) Jesus taught about God and the kingdom, and he demonstrated the power of the kingdom through his miracles.

Later on we will learn that Jesus didn’t do many miracles at Nazareth, and so the people here may be referring either to a few initial miracles Jesus did when he first got to Nazareth or perhaps they are just talking about the miracles they’ve heard about that Jesus has done elsewhere. Either way, they are amazed at his wisdom and miracles and ask, “Where did this man get these things?”

Of course, they’ve got it all backwards here. It’s not that Jesus got his wisdom or power from somewhere else. Rather, all wisdom and power come from him. Jesus doesn’t get wisdom and power, because Jesus is the source of all wisdom and power.

The apostle Paul writes in 1 Corinthians: “Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, 24 but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.” (1 Corinthians 1:22-24)

The people of Nazareth ask, “Where did this man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers?” But Jesus is the power of God and the wisdom of God. As the early church father Jerome wrote: “Marvel at the foolishness of the Nazarenes; they wonder where Wisdom gets wisdom, and where Power gets power.”
The people were amazed or impressed by Jesus’ wisdom and power. But you know what? It doesn’t matter if you’re impressed with Jesus. A lot of people are impressed with Jesus. They are impressed by his teachings, impressed by his example, impressed by his sacrifice. But it doesn’t matter if you’re impressed with Jesus. What matters is do you believe in Jesus? Do you believe he is the Son of God? And that’s where the people of Nazareth ran into a roadblock with Christ.

   B. They focus on his human relations (55-56)

Instead of believing that Jesus came from God, they focus on his human relations instead. Back to Matthew 13 now, look at verses 55-56 where the people ask:

“Isn’t this the carpenter’s son? Isn’t his mother’s name Mary, and aren’t his brothers James, Joseph, Simon and Judas? 56 Aren’t all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all these things?” (Matthew 13:55-56)

Jesus is clearly demonstrating divine wisdom and power, and yet they focus on his human relations instead. They say, “Isn’t this the carpenter’s son?” speaking of Jesus’ adoptive father, Joseph. Joseph had lived and worked among them as a carpenter, as did Jesus before he left them to begin his public ministry. Joseph was probably no longer living at this time, but people still remembered him, and they focused on Jesus’ human relations. “Isn’t this the carpenter’s son?” Then they focus on Jesus’ other human relations – his mother, Mary, and his brothers and sisters.

Now in one sense they are not wrong here. Jesus was raised by Joseph as his earthly father. Mary was his mother. These were his brothers and sisters. It is not wrong to acknowledge Jesus’ humanity. However, it is wrong to focus only on Jesus’ humanity. They called him the carpenter’s son. No, he is God’s Son! He was the adopted son of Joseph, but he is the only begotten Son of God. Yes, Jesus was and is a man. But he is also the Son of God.

Here’s the problem. The people of Nazareth assumed that Jesus was just like them. “He’s one of us! He grew up here. He comes from here, so how can he say that he comes from God?”

   C. They take offense at him (57)
      – John 1:10-12

And so, instead of believing in Jesus, they take offense. That’s what we see in verse 57:

And they took offense at him. (Matthew 13:57)

The word translated “took offense” in this verse is the Greek word “skandalizo.” We get our English word “scandal” from it. It is a word that carries the idea of stumbling and literally means “to find a cause of stumbling.” It is a word we will see several times in the next few chapters which deal with Jesus’ miracles and further controversy.

The people of Nazareth saw that Jesus’ wisdom and power clearly came from God, but they did not want to believe in him, and so they took offense at him. They found a cause of stumbling. “Who does he think he is, coming here and teaching us and showing off these miraculous powers?”

We read about Jesus in John 1:10-12: “He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. 11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12 Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.” (John 1:10-12)

An unbelieving heart will always find a reason to reject Christ. If you’re not a believer this morning, what is your cause of stumbling when it comes to Jesus? What offends you about Jesus that you will not come to him for salvation?

The people of Nazareth are an example of good seed sown on bad soil. Jesus came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.

III. Jesus’ response (57-58)

We’ve seen Jesus come to his hometown of Nazareth. We’ve seen the people’s reaction to his ministry there. Now we come to Jesus’ response. Look at Matthew 13:57-58:

But Jesus said to them, “Only in his hometown and in his own house is a prophet without honor.” 58 And he did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith. (Matthew 13:57-58)

Jesus’ response here is twofold. He says that a prophet is without honor in his hometown. And he does not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith.

   A. A prophet is without honor in his hometown (57)
      – Isaiah 53:3

First, Jesus responds by saying that a prophet is without honor in his hometown. The word translated “without honor” in this verse is a word that means to be dishonored or despised. We find the same word twice in Isaiah 53:3 where Isaiah says about Christ: “He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.” (Isaiah 53:3)

Jesus is not saying here that he was honored everywhere else except his hometown of Nazareth. Jesus was dishonored in other places, as well, but there’s something about your hometown or your own home or family that makes things especially hard. It’s hard to stand out among your own people. It’s hard to take a stand for God among the people who know you best, unless they’re standing for God, too.

Notice Jesus even specifies “his own house” here. Although Mary most likely believed, the Bible tells us his brothers did not believe at this time, although they would come to faith in him later. (Acts 1:14; James; Jude) It’s hard to be a Christian, but Jesus is saying it is especially hard at home.

   B. He did not do many miracles because of their lack of faith (58)
      – Mark 6:5-6

Matthew goes on to tell us that Jesus did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith. We read the same thing in the gospel of Mark. Mark 6 tells us: “He could not do any miracles there, except lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them. 6 And he was amazed at their lack of faith.” (Mark 6:5-6)

The word translated “lack of faith” in both Matthew and Mark is the same word for unbelief. Although Jesus sometimes healed or helped people regardless of faith, the normal pattern in Scripture is you must believe in order to see God’s work.

Several times in the gospels we see how people missed out on Jesus’ help because of a lack of faith. Jesus always helped and healed people who came to him in faith. But apparently not many people from Nazareth came to him for help or healing.

CONCLUSION: Jesus said a prophet is without honor in his hometown. It’s true. It was harder for the people of Nazareth to accept Jesus as coming from God. It’s harder to live for Jesus among those who know you well. And it’s easy to miss Jesus even when he’s right in front of your eyes.

Jesus’ words are so important here. Why does all this matter? It matters immensely.

It mattered to the people of Nazareth. Jesus was a prophet and more than a prophet. They not only missed out on his miracles. They missed out on knowing Jesus as the Son of God.

It mattered to the people of Israel. Jesus came to his own people, but his own people did not receive him. They did not recognize him as the Messiah. But as many as did receive him he gave the right to become children of God.

It matters to non-believers today. Jesus is the eternal Son of God who died on the cross to be your Savior. Jesus is worthy of all glory, honor and praise. (Revelation 5:12) So many people miss out on Jesus because they see him only from a worldly or human perspective. When you don’t believe in Jesus, you dishonor him. You also remove yourself from his saving and miraculous power in your life.

And then, finally, it matters to believers today. The hardest place to be a Christian is at home. The hardest place to maintain a Christian witness is among those who know you best. Be encouraged! Even Jesus was rejected by his hometown and family. So do your best to present a faithful witness for Christ. Apologize and confess when you mess up. And keep pointing people to Jesus – the Son of God, the Savior of the world, and the only way to God and eternal life.

Do you know what the common element is in all of these examples? Give Jesus the honor he deserves. How do you honor Jesus? You honor Jesus by believing in him, by living a life that is pleasing to him, and by sharing the good news about Jesus with others.

When God sent Jesus into the world to die for our sins, God gave us a gift that we don’t deserve. Let us give Jesus the honor he deserves every day of our lives and for all of eternity.

© Ray Fowler

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