Homilies on Luke

Homily 33. Luke 4.23-27

HOMILY 33 Luke 4.23-27 On the passagefrom, "Doubtless you will quote me this saying, " and so on, up to the point where it says, "But none ofthem was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian. " NSOFAR AS LUKE'S narrative is concerned,Jesus has not yet stayed in Capernaum. Nor is he said to have performed anysign in that place, because he had notbeen there. Before he comes to Capernaum, it is recorded that he was in his native territory, that is, in Nazareth. He says to his fellow-citizens, "Doubtlessyou will quote me this saying: 'Physician , cure yourself. Do here, too, in your native territory, whatever we heard was done in Capernaum."'J For this reason, I think that some mystery is hidden in this passage before us. Capernaum, a type ofthe Gentiles, takes precedence over Nazareth , a type of the Jews. Jesus knew that he had no honor in his own native territory-neither he, nor the prophets, nor the apostles. So he was unwilling to preach there. Instead, he preached among the Gentiles, so that the people of his native territory would not say to him, "Doubtless you will quote me this saying: 'Physician, cure yourself.'" 2. There will be a time when the people of theJews will say, '''Whatever we have heard was done in Capernaum'''-that is, signs and wonders among the Gentiles-"'do among us, too, in your native territory.' 2 What you have shown to the whole world, show to us as well. Preach your word to the people of Israel, so that at least 'when the full number ofthe Gentiles has entered in, then all ofIsrael will be saved."'3For this reason, it 1. Lk 4.23. 2. Lk 4.23. 3. Rom 11.25-26. 134 HOMILY 33 135 seems to me that the Savior answered the Nazarenes' question logically and correctly: "No prophet is accepted in his native country."4 And I think this word he speaks is truer according to the mystery than according to the letter. 3. It is true thatJeremiah was not accepted in Anathoth, his native land; nor was Isaiah, whatever his native land was, nor the rest of the prophets. But it seems to me that the passage should be understood this way: we say that the native land ofall the prophets was the people of the circumcision. This people received neither the prophets nor their prophecies. But, then, the Gentiles, who had been far from the prophets and had no knowledge of them, received the prophecy ofJesus Christ. So, "no prophet is accepted in his native country," that is, among the people of the Jews. We were foreign to the covenant and alien to the promises. But we received the prophets with all our hearts. We "have Moses and the prophets," 5 who preached about Christ much more than they do. Since they did not receive Jesus, they did not receive those men, either, who proclaimed him. 4. This is why he adds something else to what he said. Mter, "No prophet is accepted in his native country," he adds, "For, in truth I say to you, that in the days of Elijah there were many widows in Israel, when the heavens were closed for three years and six months. "6 What he is saying is this. Elijah was a prophet, and he was among the people of the Jews. But, when he was about to do something miraculous, although there were many widows in Israel, he left them and went "to a widow in Sarepta of Sidonia"7 - that is, to a little Gentile woman. Elijah was revealing the form ofafuture reality. "Itwas not hunger for bread or thirst for water, but hunger for hearing the word of God"8 that occupied the people of Israel. Elijah comes to a widow, about whom a prophet says, "The sons of the deserted woman are more numerous than those of her who has a husband. " 9 When he comes, he multiplies her bread and her foodstuffs. 4· Lk 4.246 . Lk4.25. 8. Am 8.11. 5. Lk 16.29· 7. Lk 4.26; cf. 1 Kgs 17·9. 9· Is 54. J. 136 ORIGEN You were a widow in Sarepta of Sidonia. The "Canaanite woman comes"'O from that territory and wants her daughter to be cured. Because ofher faith she deserved to receive what she was asking for. "So there were...