Luke 4:17, commentary and pictures

On the Sabbath at Nazareth where he had been brought up he stood up to read, the book of Isaiah was handed to him, and he unrolled it to find the appointed place. He deliberately chose a passage understood to speak of the Messiah in order to set forth his own work, and explained it with such clarity that his hearers marveled. The work he found there was his Spirit-anointed mission to preach the gospel to the poor, heal the brokenhearted, proclaim deliverance to captives, give sight to the blind, set the bruised free, and announce the acceptable year of the Lord. He declared that scripture fulfilled that very day in their hearing, presenting himself as the Anointed One sent to bring salvation and freedom. That same announcement defines the compassionate restoring work his followers continue, and its rejection at Nazareth warns that unbelief and prejudice shut the heart against plain truth and against him.

Synagogue Reading Described

At Nazareth where he had been brought up, on the Sabbath day as his custom was, he stood up to read in the synagogue, and the book of the prophet Isaiah was delivered to him, and when he had opened it he found the place where it was written. That finding was in his hometown synagogue on the Sabbath after being asked to take part in the service, when the scroll was handed to him and he opened to the prophecy of the Spirit-anointed preaching to the poor, healing the brokenhearted, deliverance to captives, sight to the blind, liberty to the bruised, and the acceptable year of the Lord. His careful opening of the book introduced the words describing that mission of good news and healing and deliverance.

The reading took place in the regular Sabbath synagogue service, in which an elder ordinarily read from the prophets, any Israelite might give the reading, and a visiting rabbi present was expected to preach, and he took part at request. He stood up to read and was handed the roll of Isaiah in that order of service. The scripture he found was understood as referring to the Messiah, and he deliberately chose it to present his work. He explained it with such clarity and reason that the people were amazed, especially because they knew he had never attended school. That careful use of Scripture introduced his teaching of the people and proclaiming of the kingdom of heaven. His patient seeking of opportunities for personal ministry to draw people to study the Scriptures provides the model, working patiently with those who lacked understanding of truth.

Mission Christ Announced

The place he found announces his Spirit-anointed life-work to preach the gospel to the poor, heal the brokenhearted, preach deliverance to the captives, bring recovering of sight to the blind, set at liberty the bruised and oppressed, and preach the acceptable year of the Lord. That word stood at the beginning of his ministry as the declaration of the character of his work for the world. That text is a wonderful description of his work and defines the same work of reaching the common people.

That work means giving encouragement, comfort and help where it is most needed. It is directed to the poor, the meek, the friendless, the suffering and the hopeless, to those whom the Pharisees and Sadducees and the learned and rich despised and neglected as though riches, learning, wealth and knowledge made men of more value. The learned and rich counted them of less value because of lack of wealth, learning and riches, yet to them he brings good news, healing, freedom and the proclamation of the Lord's favor.

It means rescuing those bowed down by Satan's power and setting them free from his yoke of bondage. It means breaking the spell of infatuation Satan has wrought on the human mind and bringing eternity into view. He does this as the great Physician with infinite wisdom for diseases of body and soul, able and longing to deliver everyone bound in soul and body by evil practice and long-indulged master passion, doing his utmost to set free captives held by weakness, so that bodily healing belongs within the sphere of his labor and he is Saviour of body as well as soul.

He came not as a temporal prince to break Roman rule and establish an earthly kingdom and rule with armies. The people expected a Messiah ruling from an earthly throne to defeat Israel's enemies, but in humility he came to do the work Israel had left undone and to bring relief, healing, liberation and the light of truth. That mission is a life of self-denial and self-sacrifice, bringing the good news of salvation and freedom rather than earthly dominion.

He himself had first presented this mission to Isaiah, then came into the world as its fulfillment. As the Anointed One he came to comfort, bless and save the sorrowing and sinful, to restore and uplift people and bring peace and happiness. He came to represent the Father, showing divine power by raising the dead and restoring the sick and suffering to health, in the world as the tree of life. His work is not consolation only, for he also restores people and reproves them, comforting all that mourn and giving beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning and the garment of praise for heaviness, to bind up the brokenhearted and proclaim liberty to the captives and opening of the prison to the bound.

His discourse at Nazareth was part of work confined for a time to a small circumference among the Jewish nation. The heathen nations were not prepared for his work, and devoting his time to labor for the conversion of the Gentile world would have closed the door by which he could bear his message to Israel.

Fulfillment Declared and Proved

He declared the scripture fulfilled that day in the hearing of his listeners, identifying himself as the Messiah and the Anointed One sent to bring good news of salvation and freedom. He took the book of Isaiah in the Nazareth synagogue and found the prophecy of the Messiah's work, then announced that it was fulfilled in him, not as the earthly king ruling with armies whom the people expected but as the one sent to relieve, heal, liberate and reveal the light of truth. He explained the prophets' words about himself plainly and meekly, and with perfect knowledge of the Jewish economy as represented in the Scriptures, though he had not received instruction from the religious teachers of the nation.

That word was fulfilled in his ministry, for the sick were healed, demoniacs restored, lepers and paralytics made whole, the dumb spoke, the ears of the deaf were opened, the dead were brought to life, and the poor had the gospel preached to them. He also fed the hungry and comforted the sorrowful, cast out devils who confessed him the Son of God, walked upon the waves and by a word stilled them and silenced their roaring, and held thousands entranced by wisdom and by words of wisdom. Every miracle convinced some of his true character, and the same works done by a man in the common walks of life would have been declared as done by the power of God, yet those who did not receive the light of heaven set themselves more determinedly against this evidence.

Rejection at Nazareth

At first His words were gracious and carried the divine influence of the Spirit, laying an overpowering conviction upon all that He was all the text claimed. The hearers were touched, wondered, witnessed to His words with hearty response, and recognized the gracious words He spoke. That conviction was soon lost when admiration turned to questioning Him as Joseph's son and demanding miracles such as had been done in Capernaum. Familiarity with His family from childhood fed the resistance, making them reluctant to recognize the remarkable character and calling of One known from childhood, and their unbelief stumbled that He showed perfect knowledge of the Jewish economy as represented in the Scriptures without having received instruction from the religious teachers.

His answer was that no prophet is accepted in his own country. He proved it by the many widows in Israel in the three years and six months of famine when Elijah was sent to none but the widow of Sarepta in Sidon, and by the many lepers in Israel when Elisha cleansed none but Naaman the Syrian. This showed that God's favor was not limited to them but included the Gentiles. It warned that unbelief and rebellion can lead God to turn from His professed people, while those outside who respond faithfully to heaven's light may be accepted as more righteous.

The synagogue was filled with wrath. The mob drove Him out of the synagogue and thrust Him out of the city to the brow of the hill to cast Him down headlong and throw Him from a precipice, pushing Him hither and thither while quarreling how to stop His voice entirely. But divine power and angels guarded Him, so that He passing through their midst went His way and vanished they knew not whither. Being received unfavorably He left to preach where people would listen and receive His message.

The rejection happened because hearts blinded by prejudice, pride, insane hatred and willful blindness closed eyes that would not see and ears that would not hear. Their understanding was darkened against manifestations of the Spirit of God under the infatuation of the ruler of darkness. They could not endure the plain truth that exposed their spiritual condition and challenged their ideas, for truth did not languish on His tongue. They resolutely rejected the light despite the opportunity to receive blessing, even though He healed the sick, restored sight to the blind, hearing to the deaf and speech to the dumb, fed the hungry, comforted the sorrowful, walked upon the waves and stilled them by a word, cast out devils, raised the dead, and held thousands entranced by wisdom.

The path of unbelief at Nazareth warns that it is dangerous to call the work of the Spirit of God the work of Satan. Admitting doubt can drive away the Spirit of God and open the heart to Satan's influence, putting men in the enemy's power by yielding to temptation. Rejecting the message sent through Him is rejecting Him. The same is acted over and over today when He comes not in person but by His Word and in the person of His servants and is rejected because of the plainness of the truth, so all must take one of two positions, either for or against Him.

That present rejection after God stirs hearts is repeated with just as much danger and with less excuse, when the Lord speaks through His delegated messengers and men close their hearts in unbelief, prejudice and pride while supposing they preserve dignity and freedom, holding themselves in bondage to Satan. Those who in controversy have taken the course of the men of Nazareth are given a second opportunity to accept the gracious light of truth, and after the first rejection may again be called upon by the divine Messenger. To harden the heart then is final rejection of the message that would work salvation, which is rejection of Him in the person of His messengers. Teachers are thereby taught to study and understand God's Word, because neglecting lessons of eternal importance leaves them unfit to teach others.

Pattern for Followers

The handing of the scroll and finding of the place was an announcement of life-work that defines the work of full followers as co-laborers with him in restoring the moral image of God in man. It remains their work to reach the common people as he reached them, laboring with him in compassionate service to people in need. That character of work is to preach good tidings to the meek and poor, bind up the brokenhearted, proclaim liberty to the captives and the opening of the prison to those who are bound, break the yoke of oppression, and relieve human woe. It is to be done with tender pity toward the infirmities, necessities, troubles and perplexities of the people for whom he died, rescuing those bowed down by Satan's power and yoke of bondage, breaking the spell of infatuation wrought on the human mind and bringing eternity into view. His words and work there were simple and clear, and his example shows how his followers are to do their work, in humility doing the work left undone.

His work there is the example of how every other person on earth should work. The act reveals tender humanity toward people and a life of seeking first the kingdom of God and his righteousness in oneness with the Father, fulfilling the law by continual obedience. His lesson to his disciples is in perfect harmony with this announcement, and his followers are commanded to follow his example in his strength so they may stand perfect before God's throne.

His announcement of the gospel to the poor rebukes making color or caste a basis for exclusion. Salvation in him is for people of every race, and those who slight a person because of color also slight him.

Because he so claimed this work as his own, sufferers are encouraged to hope largely, come in faith, take him at his word and receive abundantly of his rich grace. They are to trust the great Physician to restore health, for he is abundantly able and glad to respond to the faith of believers.