Luke 4:14-37
Jesus Is Not Accepted in Nazareth
Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Holy Spirit. News about him spread through the whole countryside. He was teaching in their synagogues, and everyone praised him.
Jesus went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. On the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue as he usually did. He stood up to read. And the scroll of Isaiah the prophet was handed to him. Jesus unrolled it and found the right place. There it is written,
“The Spirit of the Lord is on me.
He has anointed me
to announce the good news to poor people.
He has sent me to announce freedom for prisoners.
He has sent me so that the blind will see again.
He wants me to set free those who are treated badly.
And he has sent me to announce the year when he will set his people free.” (Isaiah 61:1,2)
Then Jesus rolled up the scroll. He gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were staring at him. He began by saying to them, “Today this passage of Scripture is coming true as you listen.”
Everyone said good things about him. They were amazed at the gracious words they heard from his lips. “Isn’t this Joseph’s son?” they asked.
Jesus said, “Here is a saying you will certainly apply to me. ‘Doctor, heal yourself!’ And you will tell me this. ‘Do the things here in your hometown that we heard you did in Capernaum.’ ”
“What I’m about to tell you is true,” he continued. “A prophet is not accepted in his hometown. I tell you for sure that there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah. And there had been no rain for three and a half years. There wasn’t enough food to eat anywhere in the land. But Elijah was not sent to any of those widows. Instead, he was sent to a widow in Zarephath near Sidon. And there were many in Israel who had skin diseases in the days of Elisha the prophet. But not one of them was healed except Naaman the Syrian.”
All the people in the synagogue were very angry when they heard that. They got up and ran Jesus out of town. They took him to the edge of the hill on which the town was built. They planned to throw him off the cliff. But Jesus walked right through the crowd and went on his way.
Jesus Drives Out an Evil Spirit
Then Jesus went to Capernaum, a town in Galilee. On the Sabbath day he taught the people. They were amazed at his teaching, because his words had authority.
In the synagogue there was a man controlled by a demon, an evil spirit. He cried out at the top of his voice. “Go away!” he said. “What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are. You are the Holy One of God!”
“Be quiet!” Jesus said firmly. “Come out of him!” Then the demon threw the man down in front of everybody. And it came out without hurting him.
All the people were amazed. They said to each other, “What he says is amazing! With authority and power he gives orders to evil spirits. And they come out!” The news about Jesus spread throughout the whole area.
Menu
Menu
