Jesus made it known to the people in the synagogue that He was the One anointed by God to bring them all blessings, but they did not believe Him. These people were of the nation of Israel, and knew the history of their nation, and Jesus spoke to them about others like them, who had not believed God’s words told by His prophets.
He spoke of a time of famine when God sent His prophet to a poor woman of another land for food; her handful of meal and a little oil were made to last until the famine was over, because she had believed the words God told the prophet, and the people in Israel had not.
Blessings for the Neighbors
Then Jesus spoke also of Naaman, the captain of the army of Syria, who was a leper, and came to the prophet of God, and was cured, because he did as the prophet told him. Jesus said that there were many lepers in Israel at that time, but none of them were cured; they did not believe what God told the prophet, or ask to be healed. The land of Syria is just north of Galilee, and the home of the poor woman in Sidon was also near, and the people of Nazareth who were listening to Jesus did not like to be reminded of the blessings to their neighbors, when their own people did not believe God. It was because they wanted to keep on in sinful ways that they did not believe, and the people of Nazareth did not want Jesus to save them.
Unbelief Close to Home
They became so angry with Jesus that they took hold of Him and put Him out of the synagogue, and led Him to the top of the hill above the town, intending to push Him down the steep cliff. But Jesus passed through the angry crowd away from them, without their knowing, and went to another place.
How sad and awful for the people of His own town to so treat the One who came to save them from their troubles! It is said the view of the mountains and country from the hill of Nazareth is very beautiful, but those people did not understand that they were refusing the Maker of all things about them, as also their Messiah.
We read that Jesus marvelled at their unbelief, and could do no mighty miracles there (Mark 6:5-65And he could there do no mighty work, save that he laid his hands upon a few sick folk, and healed them. 6And he marvelled because of their unbelief. And he went round about the villages, teaching. (Mark 6:5‑6)). There must have been many boys and girls in the synagogue, who that day heard the wonderful voice of Jesus, but the unbelief of the parents kept Him away from them. There are people now who do not believe Jesus was God, and different from all others; they also do not believe God’s words, or that they need One to save them from their sins. Yet He will bless any who will let Him, as He did a few sick ones there, who must have been willing for Him to lay His hands in mercy upon them. So let us all listen to His words in the Bible and be certain for ourselves that He is our Saviour.
Notice that Elias is here used for Elijah, and Eliseus for Elisha, as written in the Old Testament.
Further Meditation
1. How did the people of Nazareth react to the Lord’s announcement reminder of blessing for their neighbors?
2. How do we react when others we think are “inferior” to us receive blessing from God? What other cases are there in the book of Luke of Gentiles (non-Jews) being blessed by the Lord?
3. It often helps to look at a good atlas when trying to understand a portion of Scripture. For example it would be helpful in this chapter in understanding the relationship between Syria, Sidon and Galilee. You might find The Moody Atlas of Bible Lands by B. Beitzel or a similar work to be a big help in your meditations.