What is the meaning of Matthew 13:57? And they took offense at Him. Matthew records, “And they took offense at Him”. • The crowd in Nazareth, Jesus’ own neighbors, stumbled over the very One they thought they knew. Like the builders in Psalm 118:22 who rejected the cornerstone, they dismissed Him because He seemed too ordinary. • John 6:41-42 shows the same reaction when people said, “Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph?” Their earthly familiarity blinded them to His heavenly identity. • Isaiah 8:14 and 1 Peter 2:7-8 remind us that Christ is either a sanctuary or a stone of stumbling; those who refuse to believe inevitably “take offense.” But Jesus said to them, Jesus responds calmly, teaching rather than retaliating. • Mark 6:4 and Luke 4:24 record the same statement, highlighting its importance in all three Synoptic Gospels. • John 4:44 notes that Jesus Himself testified “that a prophet has no honor in his own country,” echoing this moment and underlining a consistent pattern in His ministry. • His words expose the spiritual issue: the problem lies not with the message or the Messenger but with hearts unwilling to see beyond human familiarity. “Only in his hometown and in his own household is a prophet without honor.” • “Only” underscores the exception: everywhere else Jesus was welcomed, but in Nazareth He was not. • Jeremiah 11:21 records how the prophet’s fellow townspeople sought his life; Micah 7:5-6 foretells discord even within households. Jesus embodies the prophetic tradition, experiencing the same rejection. • This rejection fulfills the broader scriptural theme that godly messengers often face their harshest critics among those who should know them best (2 Chronicles 36:15-16). • The statement also warns believers today: over-familiarity can dull spiritual perception, causing us to undervalue Christ’s work among us. summary Matthew 13:57 shows Nazareth’s tragic response: they stumbled over Jesus’ humble familiarity and rejected the honor due Him. Jesus clarifies that such rejection is the common lot of prophets, especially among their own people. Scripture consistently portrays this pattern, urging modern readers to receive Christ—and His servants—with believing hearts rather than skeptical familiarity. |
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