“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me; wherefore He hath anointed[1] me to preach the gospel to the poor. He hath sent me to heal[2] the contrite of heart, to preach deliverance[3] to the captives[4] and sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, to preach the acceptable year[5] of the Lord and the day of reward.”[6]
When He had closed the book, He returned it to the minister and sat down[7]. But the eyes of all the synagogue were fixed upon Him. He then told them: “This day is fulfilled [8] this scripture in your ears.”
As He thus continued His discourse, all wondered[9] at the words of grace that fell from His lips. Still they did not believe in Him; for they said one to another: “Is not this the son of Joseph?” [10]
But He, answering them, said: “Amen, I say to you that no prophet is accepted[11] in his own country[12]. There were many widows in the days of Elias in Israel, when heaven was shut three years and six months, when there was a great famine throughout
- ↑ Anointed. The Lord hath made me God and man; therefore am I His anointed. His Christ.
- ↑ To heal. From their sins.
- ↑ Deliverance. Spiritual.
- ↑ The captives. Of sin and the devil.
- ↑ Year. The jubilee or year of restoration.
- ↑ Reward. Or of judgment.
- ↑ Sat down. As a sign that He wished to expound what He had read, such explanatory discourses being made sitting.
- ↑ Fulfilled. The Messias who is foretold in this passage sits now before you. Thus Jesus explicitly declared that He was the Messias, who had brought grace and truth to all men.
- ↑ All wondered. The words of Jesus were so full of grace, so persuasive and moving, and they flowed from His mouth so easily and sweetly that they made a great impression on His hearers and astounded them. The impression, however, was only a passing one. Soon the doubt occurred to them: Is not this the carpenter’s son, whom we have known from his youth? He is of poor parents and is a carpenter (Mark 6,3); how can this be the Messias? They were offended at His poverty and lowliness, despised His honourable trade, and would not, therefore, believe in Him. Jesus saw with pain the scepticism of His own fellowcitizens and said to them with solemn earnestness: Amen, I say to you &c.
- ↑ Joseph. As if they wished to say that He was of poor parents, and that He had not received a liberal education.
- ↑ Accepted. Well received.
- ↑ His own country. It is with me as it was with the prophets, who found no hearing among their fellow-countrymen, to whom they were sent. Then our Lord quoted the examples of the two prophets, Elias and Eliseus, who worked such great miracles, and who yet found less belief among the Israelites than among the heathen (Old Test. LXII).
