Commentary on Matthew, Mark, Luke - Volume 2.pdf

<strong>Commentary</strong> on Matthew, Mark, Luke - Volume 2
country, he taught them in their synagogue, so in the synagogue, and many hearing were
that they were amazed, and said, Whence hath amazed, saying, Whence hath this man these
this man this wisdom and these miracles? 55. Is things? 343 And what is the wisdom that hath been
not this the carpenter’s son? Is not his mother given to him, so that such miracles are done by
called Mary, and his brothers James, and Joses, his hands? 3. Is not this the carpenter, the son of
and Simon, and Judas? 56. And his sisters, do Mary, the brother of James, and Joses, and Judas,
not they all live amongst us? Whence then hath and Simon? Are not his sisters also here with us?
this man all these things? 57. And they were And they were offended at him. 4. And Jesus said
offended at him. But Jesus said to them, A to them, A prophet is not devoid of honor, 344
prophet is not destitute of honor, except in his except in his own country, and among his
own country and in his own house. 58. And he relatives, and in his own family. 5. And he could
did not perform many miracles there on account not perform any miracle there, except that he
of their unbelief.
cured a few sick persons by laying his hands on
them. 6. And he wondered at their unbelief, and
walked about through the surrounding villages
teaching.
Matthew 13:53. When Jesus had concluded. Matthew does not mean, that immediately after
delivering these discourses, he came into his own country; for it is evident from Mark, that some
interval of time elapsed. But the meaning is, that after having taught for some time in Judea, he
returned again to the Galileans, but did not receive from them kind treatment. A narrative which
Luke gives (4:22) is nearly similar, but is not the same. Nor ought we to wonder that Christ’s
countrymen, when they perceived that his family was mean and despised, and that he had been
poorly educated, were at first so much offended as to murmur at his doctrine, and afterwards
persevered in the same malice to such an extent, that they did not cease to slander him, when he
chose to discharge the office of a prophet amongst them. This second rejection of Christ shows that
the space of time which had intervened had not effected a reformation on the inhabitants of Nazareth,
but that the same contempt was constantly thrown as an obstacle in the way, to prevent them from
hearing Christ. 345
54. So that they were amazed. They are struck with amazement at the novelty of the occurrence,
that Christ, who had not learned letters, but had been employed from youth to manhood in a
mechanical occupation, is so eminent a teacher, and is filled with divine wisdom. In this miracle
they ought to have perceived the hand of God; but their ingratitude made them cover themselves
343 “D’ou vienent ces choses a cestuy-ci?” — “Whence comes these things to this man?”
344 “Un prophete n’est deshonore;” — “a prophet is not dishonored.”
345 “A fin de n’approcher de luy, et de ne recevoir sa doctrine;” — “that they might not approach to him, and might not receive
his doctrine.”
147
John Calvin