Jesus's Words

The Complete Sayings of Jesus

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Christ Reads in Synagogue at Nazareth — Eludes Angry Hearers — Begins to Preach Repentance.

A.D. 28. Age 31 Nazareth. Capernaum.

Luke 4, 16-31; Mark 1, 15; Matthew 4, 17.

JESUS came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read. When he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written, The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord.1 He closed the book, gave it again to the minister, and sat down. The eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him: and he began to say unto them, This day is this Scripture fulfilled in your ears. And all bare witness, and wondered at the gracious words which proceded out of his mouth. They said, Is not this Joseph's son? And Jesus said, Ye will surely say unto me this proverb, Physician, heal thyself: whatsoever we have heard done in Capernaum, do also here in thy country. And he said, Verily I say unto you, No prophet is accepted in his own country. But I tell you of a truth, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elias, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, when great famine was throughout all the land; but unto none of them was Elias sent, save unto Sarepta, a city of Sidom, unto a woman that was a widow. And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Eliseus the prophet: and none of them was cleansed, saving Naaman the Syrian. They in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath, and rose up, and thrust Jesus out, and led him unto the brow of the hill wheron their city was built, that they might cast him down headlong.

Now Jesus had heard that John was cast into prison; and, passing through the midst of them, he went his way: and leaving Nazareth, he departed into Galilee: he came to Capernaum. Jesus dwelt in Capernaum, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of heaven is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel. Repent: for the kingdom of God is at hand. From that time Jesus began to preach; and he taught them on the sabbath days.

Footnotes:

1This passage from Luke (4, 18-19) paraphrases verses 1-2 of Isaiah 61, which Jesus "stood up for to read."

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