1. Jesus’ Preaching at Nazareth Analyzing Biblical Intertextuality through: Isaiah 61:1-11 1 Kings 17:1-24 2 Kings 5:1-19 Nicole Harris April 18, 2007 Fr. Just

2. What is Happening in Luke 4:14-30 Jesus goes to Galilee and teaches at a synagogue in Nazareth. What He says upsets the people at the synagogue and ran Jesus out of the city …..why does this happen, and why is this significant?

3. Luke 4:16 “ And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up; and as he went to the synagogue, as his custom was, on the sabbath day. And he stood up to read;” Why important? Places Jesus in Nazareth, which is where He grew up. Therefore, He is speaking to the people He has grown up with and around

4. Luke 4:17-19 & Isaiah 61:1-2 18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor 1 The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor 18 …to proclaim release to the captives 1 …to proclaim freedom for the captives 19 to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord 2 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor - 2 …and the day of vengeance of our God

5. Luke 4:18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor” Meaning of the word “anointed” Greek: Christós (Χριστός) literally means “The Anointed One” Christós translated in Hebrew: Mašía ḥ ( מָשִׁיחַ)… Messiah

6. Why is this important? When Isaiah said this long before Jesus’ time, he was referring to the coming Messiah. Because Jesus is exactly quoting Isaiah’s prophecy, and He says that He was ANOINTED by God, Jesus is in essence referring to Himself as the Messiah that Isaiah was referring to.

7. Luke 4:21 “And he began to say to them, ‘Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.’” Extremely important verse! Jesus is saying that Isaiah’s prophecy was coming true at that moment, therefore boldly insinuating that He is the Messiah that Isaiah had said would come.

8. Luke 4:22 “And all spoke well of him, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth, and they said, ‘Is not this Joseph’s son?’” To the people at the synagogue, Jesus is just “one of them”, a local who they have grown up knowing. The concept of Jesus being the Messiah catches them off guard because, to them, He is just a normal person

9. Luke 4:24 “Truly, I say to you, no prophet is acceptable in his own country” No matter what message He shares, they won’t accept Him because He is just a local This is supported by Jesus referring to Elijah because he, as well as other prophets, weren’t accepted by many while alive.

10. Luke 4:25 “ 25 But in truth, I tell you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, when there came a great famine over all the land; 26 and Elijah was sent to none of them but only to Zarephath, in the land of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow.” Look at 1 Kings 17:7-24 Tells how Elijah provided a woman from Sidon and her family sustenance in a time of famine and healed her dying son.

11. Luke 4:27 “And there were many lepers in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha; and none of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian.” Look at 2 Kings 5:1-19 Tells the story of Naaman, a leper, who Elisha leads to call on God and is cleansed of leprosy

12. What do the widow from Sidon and Naaman from Syria have in common? They’re both foreigners! Just like Jesus said in Luke 4:23-24, the prophets Elijah and Elisha weren’t accepted by their own people, so instead of helping the people of Israel, helped foreigners instead. Who does Jesus help? The tax collectors, foreigners, and those on the outskirts of society Jesus referring to these two stories makes the people of Nazareth angry because Jesus had just alluded to being The Anointed One, the Messiah who is supposed to lead the people of Israel, yet directly follows by saying that like prophets before Him, He has compassion for foreigners, enemies of Israel.

13. Why do the people in the synagogue get so mad? 18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor 1 The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor 18…to proclaim release to the captives1…to proclaim freedom for the captives 19 to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord2 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor - 2 …and the day of vengeance of our God -Elijah says that the Messiah will have vengeance on Israel’s enemies. While Jesus quotes many statements that Elijah made, he does not refer to God’s vengeance. -Therefore, this entire interaction at the Synagogue presents: 1. Jesus insinuates that he is the Messiah 2. Jesus, if the Messiah, will not only not claim vengeance on Israel’s behalf, but will even HELP foreigners

14. Therefore, the people of Nazareth react like this: Luke 4:28-30 “ 28 When they heard this, all in the synagogue were filled with wrath. 29 And they rose up and put him out of the city, and led him to the brow of the hill on which their city was built, that they might throw him down headlong. 30 But passing through the midst of them he went away.” One more thing important to note: Both Mark and Matthew refer to Jesus’ trip to Galilee and teaching at a synagogue in Nazareth, yet Luke is the only one who speaks of Elijah and Elisha