If Jesus was truly the Son of God, why does it say he could not perform miracles in his hometown? When I am helpless to create change. New American Standard Bible Copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. But Jesus was enabled by the Spirit to heal some who did have faith. And he did not there many miracles because of their unbelief. He, she, it, they, them, same. So Jesus could do no powerful works there. And he wrought not many mighty works there, because of their unbelief. And he did not work many mighty deeds there because of their lack of faith. Every magnificent miracle he graces us with is a gift worthy of celebration. That includes this passage. This post focuses on faith, how unbelief closes doors, and the miracles that Jesus could and would not do in his hometown of Nazareth. Used by permission. Jesus was not the kind of miracle worker whose primary purpose was to impress his viewers [with no regard to the nature of their disposition] (Brooks, p. 100). Matthew 13:58 - Could Jesus not perform miracles? - Pathway2truth People are free to believe whatever they want, but they are not free to determine the consequences of their beliefs. Jesus could not work any miracles there, except to heal a few sick people by placing his hands on them. At the same time though, if anyone should have believed Jesus claims, it should have been them. Then he made his way round the villages, continuing his teaching. ' And He said, Truly I say to you, no prophet is welcome in his home town. In Mark 6:4-5 Jesus affirmed that a prophet is without honor in his home town, and in view of that reality, He could not perform any miracles in Nazareth except for healing a few sick people. 1 John 1:8-9; 2:1-2); rather, he is stating that when divine truth becomes resident in the heart, one will choose not to yield ourselves to a habitual, unrestrained life of sin. The only difference is that now Jesus has done even more miracles, many of them done in the towns and cities around Nazareth. We know his mother, and his brothers and sisters (see Matthew 13:54ff; Mark 6:1ff). Why Couldn't Jesus Perform Miracles in His Hometown? From the particle au; the reflexive pronoun self, used of the third person, and of the other persons. They do not like his suit or the way he combs his hair. He couldnt do anything remarkable there, except that he laid hands on a few sick people and cured them. And He could do no miracle there except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them. Wappingers Falls, NY 12590 disbelief, or unfaithfulness. As Jesus hung on the Cross, his divinity was mocked. In fact, Christs choice to do nothing in this story embodies a bigger truth. Archaeological excavations show that the town had enjoyed a period of worldly prosperity, but along with that came increasing pagan influence. Romans 11:20 Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. and he was not able there any mighty work to do, except on a few infirm people having put hands he did heal [them]; Sign up now for the latest news and deals from Bible Gateway! Subscribers receive full access to the archives. They were proud of Him, they expected the fame Jesus was gaining would result in prestige for their community, but they did not expect Jesus to bring His message or repentance to them. [Jesus] felt it morally impossible to exercise his beneficent power in their behalf in the face of their unbelief (Matt. Genesis 19:22 Haste thee, escape thither; for I cannot do any thing till thou be come thither. Both point to a similar truth: in the gospel of Matthew, Jesus does not do miracles because of the unbelief of those of His own city. The true demonstration of his power was the opposite of what everyone was wanting from him. (See: The Parable of the Sower) The end of this chapter describes just such examples. EHV He could not do any miracles there except to lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them. Jesus first describes these to a large crowd along the shore of the Sea of Galilee. And because of their unbelief, he couldnt do any miracles among them except to place his hands on a few sick people and heal them. You shall descend to Hades; for if the miracles had occurred in Sodom which occurred in you, it would have remained to this day. Both Matthew and Mark state the same basic fact; the language they respectively employed, however, was slightly different. Genesis 32:25 And when he saw that he prevailed not against him, he touched the hollow of his thigh; and the hollow of Jacob's thigh was out of joint, as he wrestled with him. Its a little jarring to read that Jesus was unable to perform any miracles that day. Yet, they kicked Him out of the city anyway. Mat Mt). Matthew 13 focuses mainly on a series of parables. Some people, they complain, just do not have enough faith to be healed.. And there were many lepers in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet; and none of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian., The people wanted a demonstration of miracles just as He had done in other places. Not because God can only do miracles when His power is released by faith as some erroneously teach. All rights reserved. This is clearly the circumstance that developed in the region of Nazareth. He did not perform many miracles there because of their unbelief. And because of their unbelief, he couldn't do any miracles among them except to place his hands on a few sick people and heal them. 57 I may be Pastor Harris to you, but to my family I am still Scotty. But He did put His hands on a few sick people and healed them. Dont come here to play games, you are hearing the truth, what will you do with it? In the parable of the sower, we found that some of the seed of the gospel landed alongside the road where those who heard did not understand it and what was sown was quickly snatched away by the evil one. There was a reason why Jesus chose to limit his miraculous demonstrations in this neighborhood. Is not His mother called Mary, and His brothers, James and Joseph and Simon and Judas? Jesus returns to Nazareth to a synagogue of unbelieving friends who take offense at him. But he put his hands on a few sick people and healed them. . Most likely, the lack of faith meant that people didnt ask Jesus to help themor else, because of their lack of faith,Jesus chose not to. Whatand WhenAre the 12 Days of Christmas? . Their familiarity should have made them pay even more attention to what Jesus was teaching. From apistos; faithlessness, i.e. Luke 7:11ff). 6 And he marveled because of their unbelief. Jesus had demonstrated in that city power that could have only come from God, but while some marveled and some criticized, only a few believed. Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers, NT Gospels: Matthew 13:58 He didn't do many mighty works there (Matt. Continue learning about Jesus miracles with Miracles: The Credibility of the New Testament Accounts by Craig S. Keener. To put, place upon, lay on; I add, give in addition. In the face of that skepticism and outright hostility, Jesus chose not to do miracles. Read Miracles: The Credibility of the New Testament Accounts. Instead of bending to my demands for proof of his power, he enters the vacancies in far more redemptive ways. He could not do any miracles there, except lay his hands on a few people who were ill and heal them. Isaiah had spoken to this fact centuries earlier: He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him and we esteemed him not (Isa. A prophet is honored everywhere except in his own hometown. 6 And he marvelled because of their unbelief. And he did not there many works of power [And he did not there many virtues], for the unbelief of them. 158 Myers Corners Road But he didnt come down. Fear of being misunderstood. Now they are finding out the truth about him and what his policies really are, and not only they, but all of us, have to deal with the consequences of how they voted. And Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor, except in his hometown and among his relatives and in his own household.". Hindrances To spiritual progress Unbelief hindered Christ's work in nazareth, Jesus Christ History of Returns to nazareth, Miracles Faith required in Those for whom they were performed. When I am unfairly treated. Jesus didn't come down because the Cross had a purpose. Do not be conceited, but fear; Take care, brethren, that there not be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart that falls away from the living God. It puts Christ at the mercy of our commitment to him. He offers forgiveness to all who ask and will place their faith in Him alone. Jesus Chose To Limit His Miracles This is clearly the circumstance that developed in the region of Nazareth. (Mark 6:56). He took the unusual find home and stowed it under his bed. In fact, Matthew 11:20 tells that Jesus had done most of His miracles in this region. Examples abound. And he was not able to do any mighty work there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and healed them. gain access to 50+ premium resources to enhance your study of Scripture. They keep the building too warm or too cold. Your request is granted." And her daughter was healed from that very hour. And he was unable to perform any mighty works there, aside from curing a few sick people by laying his hands on them. Matthew 13:57 And they took offense at Him. But Jesus said to them And His sisters, are they not all with us? All content appearing on this site is owned and maintained by the Fortify Your Faith Foundation, a tax-exempt, not-for-profit, religious corporation as defined under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. He was nailed down. But is that all there is to this story? Your donation gift(s) are very much appreciated and may qualify as a charitable deduction for federal income tax purposes. They heard, but did not believe. When Jesus came into the region of his old community, he encountered a hard-hearted resistance. If all of creation testifies about its creator (Romans 1:20, Psalm 19:1), why should he have to give us a personal sign from heaven on top of that? Jesus Brought Relief. Jesus had grown up in their midst. Whatever we heard was done at Capernaum, do here in your home town as well. It was the purpose of the Spirit to do miracles of healing only for those who had faith. He could not do any miracles there, except lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them. Miracles Jesus Could not Do - lessons from Nazareth - Crossroads Initiative This was the second time he had been there since He had started His public ministry. The people of Nazareth were apparently plagued by unbelief and paid little attention to the claims of Jesus. It is a subtle yet dangerous shift in our focus. ESV And he could do no mighty work there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and healed them. He couldnt perform a miracle there except to lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them. The first time is recorded in Luke 4. In the face of that skepticism and outright hostility, Jesus chose not to do miracles. They knew Him as child and a young man. Lastly, the parallel account of this passage in Matthew 13 reads differently. Matthew 13:58 And He did not do many miracles there because of their Why are there not more miracles in our day as in Biblical times? And He did not do many great works there, because of their unbelief. Even those that were favorable to Jesus bowed before the religious leaders and were hesitant to declare their thoughts about Jesus in a positive manner (Matthew 12:23). Elsewhere in Matthew, Jesus calls his audience an unbelieving and perverted generation, and yet, he still heals them (Mt. He instructed them to take nothing for the road except a staffno satchel, no bread and no money in their pockets. He could stay focused on his singular mission without getting caught in the trap of satisfying everyones expectations. His was the only assessment that counted, and he was thoroughly pleased with his Son before he had even begun his public ministry. But the reality of the matter is that not all opinions are equal. And so he did only a few miracles there because of their unbelief. Unbelief shifts attention away from the truth to the insignificant and trivial as a means of escape or self-justification. . A miracle will convince the non-believer provided he is honest enough to evaluate the evidence (cf.
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