Sermon at Nazareth

Sermon at Nazareth

LUKE 4:14-30

NRSV

14 Then Jesus, filled with the power of the Spirit, returned to Galilee, and a report about him spread through all the surrounding country. 
15 He began to teach in their synagogues and was praised by everyone. 
16 When he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, he went to the synagogue on the sabbath day, as was his custom. He stood up to read, 
17 and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written: 
18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, 
19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” 
20 And he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. 
21 Then he began to say to them, “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” 
22 All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth. They said, “Is not this Joseph’s son?” 
23 He said to them, “Doubtless you will quote to me this proverb, “Doctor, cure yourself!’ And you will say, “Do here also in your hometown the things that we have heard you did at Capernaum.’ ” 
24 And he said, “Truly I tell you, no prophet is accepted in the prophet’s hometown. 
25 But the truth is, there were many widows in Israel in the time of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, and there was a severe famine over all the land; 
26 yet Elijah was sent to none of them except to a widow at Zarephath in Sidon. 
27 There were also many lepers in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha, and none of them was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian.” 
28 When they heard this, all in the synagogue were filled with rage. 
29 They got up, drove him out of the town, and led him to the brow of the hill on which their town was built, so that they might hurl him off the cliff. 
30 But he passed through the midst of them and went on his way.

NLT

14 Then Jesus returned to Galilee, filled with the Holy Spirit’s power. Reports about him spread quickly through the whole region. 
15 He taught regularly in their synagogues and was praised by everyone. 
16 When he came to the village of Nazareth, his boyhood home, he went as usual to the synagogue on the Sabbath and stood up to read the Scriptures. 
17 The scroll of Isaiah the prophet was handed to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where this was written: 
18“The Spirit of the LORD is upon me, for he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the oppressed will be set free, 
19 and that the time of the LORD’s favor has come. ” 
20 He rolled up the scroll, handed it back to the attendant, and sat down. All eyes in the synagogue looked at him intently. 
21 Then he began to speak to them. “The Scripture you’ve just heard has been fulfilled this very day!” 
22 Everyone spoke well of him and was amazed by the gracious words that came from his lips. “How can this be?” they asked. “Isn’t this Joseph’s son?” 
23 Then he said, “You will undoubtedly quote me this proverb: ‘Physician, heal yourself’—meaning, ‘Do miracles here in your hometown like those you did in Capernaum.’ 
24 But I tell you the truth, no prophet is accepted in his own hometown. 
25 “Certainly there were many needy widows in Israel in Elijah’s time, when the heavens were closed for three and a half years, and a severe famine devastated the land. 
26 Yet Elijah was not sent to any of them. He was sent instead to a foreigner—a widow of Zarephath in the land of Sidon. 
27 And there were many lepers in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha, but the only one healed was Naaman, a Syrian.” 
28 When they heard this, the people in the synagogue were furious. 
29Jumping up, they mobbed him and forced him to the edge of the hill on which the town was built. They intended to push him over the cliff, 
30 but he passed right through the crowd and went on his way.