all the land. Yet to none of them was Elias sent but to a widow at Sarepta of Sidon. There were also many lepers in Israel in the time of Eliseus the prophet; yet none of them was cleansed but Xaaman the Syrian.” [1]
Now all those who heard these things in the synagogue were filled with anger[2]. And rising up, they drove Him out of the city, and took Him to the brow of a mountain to cast Him down headlong. But He, striking them with a sudden terror, passed through their midst[3] and went His way.
COMMENTARY.
Jesus is the Messias. He proclaimed Himself to be such, when He said: “What the prophet says about the Messias is fulfilled in and by Me.”
Jesus is God. He proved this by the miracle He wrought at Nazareth, passing through the crowd of the furious Nazarenes, who were thirsting for His Blood, without any one among them being able to withstand Him.
Resistance of Grace. In the last chapter we saw how salvation comes to those who correspond with grace. In this chapter we have a terrible example of how salvation is forfeited by resisting grace. The Nazarenes were impressed by the discourse of Jesus, but they did not obey the call of grace which was knocking at their hearts. They resisted it, and would not believe.
Causes of unbelief. The Nazarenes had heard of the great miracle which Jesus had worked close to them at Cana. They had also been to Jerusalem for the Pasch and had witnessed the miracles He worked there (chapter XV); and now He came to them and revealed Himself to be the Messias. Still they did not believe in Him, but tried to kill Him. What was the cause of their unbelief? Firstly, their carnal-mindedness. They expected an earthly Messias, who would be a great prince, and would drive away the Romans and make Israel great in
- ↑ The Syrian. No Israelite had as much faith as the pagan Naaman (Old Test. LXV).
- ↑ With anger. They felt the severity of our Lord’s reproof. The truth, however, irritated them instead of converting them. As they could not refute His words, they tried to kill Him, for falsely (as they said) setting Himself up to be the Messias.
- ↑ Their midst. To the edge of the mountain, where there were several precipices which can still be seen. He allowed them to force Him thither; but once there, He turned round and passed with calm majesty through the crowd of persecutors, who, subdued by a supernatural force, stood there helpless and, as it were, paralysed.
