Daily Devotional For Thursday, November 20, 2025

Good morning Southside. Thank you for taking the time to join us today to have God speak to your heart. We are making our way through Matthew’s Gospel and today, we come to the final end of chapter 13. Here it is in Matthew 13:53-58:

“When Jesus had finished telling these stories and illustrations, He left that part of the country. (54) He returned to Nazareth, His hometown. When He taught there in the synagogue, everyone was amazed and said, ‘Where does He get this wisdom and the power to do miracles?’ (55) Then they scoffed, ‘He’s just the carpenter’s son, and we know Mary, His mother, and His brothers—James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas. ( 56) All His sisters live right here among us. Where did He learn all these things’  (57) And they were deeply offended and refused to believe in Him. Then Jesus told them, ‘A prophet is honored everywhere except in his own hometown and among his own family.’ (58) And so He did only a few miracles there because of their unbelief” (NLT).

We know Jesus was in Capernaum teaching and then traveled the 20 miles to Nazareth, His hometown. This was not the first time Jesus had spoken in Nazareth (see Luke 4:14-30). This first time, the response to Jesus was less positive. In fact, the people tried to kill Him but He disappeared among them. Therefore, this trip to Nazareth is significant because His hometown people were about to be given a second chance to believe. But, they rejected Jesus. 

Matthew tells us that in Nazareth, the local synagogue was His forum to teach. In Jesus’ day, the local synagogue was not like most churches – empty except Sundays and Wednesdays. Synagogues were packed all day except the Sabbath. It was the center of Jewish life and faith. This gave Jesus the perfect forum to meet and engage with people as well as to teach them. Matthew tells us the people were “amazed” at Jesus’ teaching. The Greek New Testament word translated as “amazed” or “astonished” is [ἐκπλήσσω, ekplesso]. This word literally means “to strike out of one’s senses.” The people were so amazed at Jesus’ teaching it was like if someone had struck them with blow. They were stunned and flabbergasted. They knew Jesus’ miracles were for real, but they wondered where His power came from: God or the devil. 

When we come to verse 55, things start taking a more personal attack against Jesus. Towns in those days were small so nearly everyone knew one another and it is no surprise that the residents of Nazareth scoffing reject Jesus because they know who is parents are as well as His siblings. Rabbinic schools were well known and Jesus’ towns people knew He had never been to one and thus are shocked at His vast knowledge of the Scriptures. Up until 30 years of age, Jesus had lived in Nazareth as a tradesman – a carpenter just like His father Joseph. The fact Joseph’s name is not mentioned indicates he was probably dead. The Judas mentioned is not the same Judas who betrayed Jesus. Judas was a very common name.

Naming Jesus’ siblings means these people knew Jesus’ family personally. These people had known Jesus as a baby, toddler, preschooler, a young child, a teen and a young adult. They had watched Him grow up. They could not bring themselves to believe in Him because they were too close to the situation. They could not listen to Jesus’ message because because they could not see past the human man Jesus. Jesus’ brother James would later be the leader of the church in Jerusalem (see Acts 15:13 and Gal. 2:9). 

As a result Jesus was an offense to them and they refused to listen to Him and His message. They were also that others would listen and believe in Him. He was one of their peers, how in the world could any of their peers follow Him? There may have been some jealousy as well. Jesus had come to them as the Messiah and prophet, but they chose to see only as a homeboy that was misleading their peers.

The word Jesus used here for “prophet” is the Greek New Testament word [προφήτης; prophetes]. It can refer to someone who foretells the future for God, but most of the time it was a common word to refer to someone who speaks God’s word. Jesus is not the only one in Scripture to be rejected by His hometown, so was Jeremiah (see Jer. 12:5-6). Jesus was rejected by some of His own family prior to the Resurrection (see John 7:5) and some did after the Resurrection (see Acts 1:14). 

Verse 58 makes it clear that a lack of faith makes it almost impossible for God to do any miracles. This means that even if Jesus had done many miracles, these would not have been enough to convince His peers in Nazareth. New Testament scholar Bruce B. Barton writes this:

“Jesus is not limited by people’s faith (or lack of it), but there does seem to be a strong connection between faith and God’s power actively at work. Christians who pray discover answers to prayer. Churches who worship Christ find Christ active in their fellowship. Where skeptics and atheists hold court, God seldom intervenes. God seems to like the role of invited guest over that of party crasher. So, let faith grow, pray all the time, and expect to see God at work in and around you” (Source: Bruce B. Barton, The Life Application Bible Commentary, “Matthew,” pp. 279-280).

I wish to conclude with the words from pastor and author Chuck Swindoll:

“Gospel growth, gospel judgment, and gospel gain are the three themes of these seven parables. Gospel growth says to us, “Don’t be discouraged. The gospel has grown, it is growing, and it will continue to growth until harvest-time.” Gospel judgment says to us, “Don’t be less gracious than God. God will eradicate evil, but first he wants people to repent, find the kingdom, and embrace the King.” Gospel gain says to us, “The kingdom of heaven is worth infinitely more than the cost of discipleship”  Such sacrifice is worth it, for it will bring eternal blessedness (shining-like-the-sun blessedness!) when the King of the kingdom comes again to gather the good fish, the fruitful wheat, and all those beautiful birds nesting on the branches of that once tiny mustard seed” (Source: Charles R. Swindoll, Swindoll’s Living Insights New Testament Commentary, “Matthew,” Vol. 1A, p. 380).

Assignment: Who is it you know will not accept Jesus as the Messiah? They can give you all their reasons why, but what do you think is the real reason? The Gospel says all our sacrifice is worth it. All of these parables in Matthew 13 have been about the Gospel and the Kingdom of heaven. How committed to the Gospel would the Lord say you are? There are the areas we reject Jesus’ Lordship in our lives. What areas of your own life is Jesus not the Lord over and why? When and how will you bring these under His Lordship?

Scripture To Meditate On: John 6:61, “Jesus was aware that his disciples were complaining, so he said to them, ‘Does this offend you?’” (NLT).

Prayer To Pray: “Dear Lord, I do not want to reject You nor Your message. I want You to be Lord over all my life, not certain parts of it. Help me to surrender completely to Your will for my life to share the Gospel and make disciples of others. In Jesus’ name, Amen!”

I love you Southside! – Pastor Kelly