Church Fathers Commentary Luke 4:22-27

"And all bare him witness, and wondered at the words of grace which proceeded out of his mouth: and they said, Is not this Joseph`s son? And he said unto them, Doubtless ye will say unto me this parable, Physician, heal thyself: whatsoever we have heard done at Capernaum, do also here in thine own country. And he said, Verily I say unto you, No prophet is acceptable in his own country. But of a truth I say unto you, There were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, when there came a great famine over all the land; and unto none of them was Elijah sent, but only to Zarephath, in the land of Sidon, unto a woman that was a widow. And there were many lepers in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet; and none of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian." — Luke 4:22-27 (ASV)

St. John Chrysostom: When our Lord came to Nazareth, He refrained from miracles to avoid provoking the people to even greater malice. But He presented to them His teaching, which was no less wonderful than His miracles. For there was a certain ineffable grace in our Savior’s words that softened the hearts of His hearers. For this reason, it is said, And they all bore him witness.

The Venerable Bede: They bore witness that it was truly He, as He had said, of whom the prophet had spoken.

St. John Chrysostom: But foolish men, though wondering at the power of His words, held Him in low esteem because of His supposed father. For this reason, it follows, And they said, Is not this the son of Joseph?

St. Cyril of Alexandria: But what prevents Him from inspiring awe in people, even if He were the son of Joseph, as was supposed? Do you not see the divine miracles: Satan already defeated, and people released from their sickness?

St. John Chrysostom: For although He came to them after a long time, and after He had begun to perform His miracles, they did not receive Him but were again consumed with envy. For this reason, it follows, And he said to them, You will surely say to me this proverb, Physician, heal yourself.

St. Cyril of Alexandria: It was a common proverb among the Hebrews, invented as a reproach, for people used to cry out against sick physicians, Physician, heal yourself.

Glossa Ordinaria: It was as if they said, “We have heard that you performed many cures in Capernaum; cure yourself also”—that is, “Do the same in your own city, where you were raised and brought up.”

St. Augustine of Hippo: Since Luke mentions that great things had already been done by the Lord—things he knows he has not yet related—what is more evident than that he knowingly anticipated their telling? He had not progressed so far beyond the Lord's baptism that we should suppose he had forgotten that he had not yet related any of the events that took place in Capernaum.

St. Ambrose of Milan: But the Savior purposely excuses Himself for not working miracles in His own country, so that no one might suppose that love for one's country should be lightly esteemed by us. For it follows, But he says, Verily I say to you, that no prophet is accepted in his own country.

St. Cyril of Alexandria: It is as if He says, “You want me to work many miracles among you, in whose country I have been brought up, but I am aware of a very common failing in the minds of many.” It always happens to some extent that even the best things are despised when they are not scarce, but always available at one's will. The same happens with respect to people, for a friend who is always at hand does not receive the respect he is due.

The Venerable Bede: Now, that Christ is called a Prophet in the Scriptures is attested by Moses, who says, God shall raise up a Prophet to you from among your brethren.

St. Ambrose of Milan: But this is given as an example that you can expect the aid of divine mercy in vain if you begrudge others the fruits of their virtue. The Lord despises the envious and withdraws the miracles of His power from those who are jealous of His divine blessings in others.

For our Lord’s Incarnation is evidence of His divinity, and His invisible attributes are proven to us by what is visible. See, then, what evils envy produces. Because of envy, a country is deemed unworthy of the works of its citizen—the very country that was worthy of the conception of the Son of God.

Origen of Alexandria: As far as Luke’s narrative is concerned, our Lord is not yet said to have worked any miracle in Capernaum. Before He came to Capernaum, He is said to have lived at Nazareth. I cannot help but think, therefore, that a mystery lies concealed in these words, whatsoever we have heard done in Capernaum, and that Nazareth is a type of the Jews, and Capernaum a type of the Gentiles.

For the time will come when the people of Israel will say, “The things which you have shown to the whole world, show also to us.” Preach your word to the people of Israel, so that then at least, when the fullness of the Gentiles has entered, all Israel may be saved. Our Savior seems to me to have answered well, No prophet is accepted in his own country, but this is meant according to the type rather than the letter, though Jeremiah was not accepted in his country of Anathoth, nor were the rest of the prophets.

Instead, it seems to be meant that the people of the circumcision were the countrymen of all the prophets. The Gentiles, indeed, accepted the prophecy of Jesus Christ, esteeming Moses and the Prophets who preached of Christ far more highly than did those who would not receive Jesus from them.

St. Ambrose of Milan: By a very fitting comparison, the arrogance of the envious citizens is shamed, and our Lord’s conduct is shown to agree with the ancient Scriptures. For it follows, But I tell you of a truth, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elias—not because the days belonged to him, but because he performed his works during them.

St. John Chrysostom: He himself—an earthly angel, a heavenly man, who had neither house, nor food, nor clothing like others—carries the keys of the heavens on his tongue. And this is what follows: When the heaven was shut. But as soon as he had closed the heavens and made the earth barren, hunger reigned and bodies wasted away, as it follows, when there was a famine through all the land.

St. Basil the Great: For when he saw the great disgrace that arose from universal abundance, he brought a famine so that the people might fast, by which he restrained their sin, which was exceedingly great. But crows, which are accustomed to steal food from others, were made ministers of food to the righteous man.

St. John Chrysostom: But when the stream that filled the righteous man's cup was dried up, God said, Go to Sarepta, a city of Sidon; there I will command a widow woman to feed you. As it follows, But to none of them was Elias sent, save unto Sarepta, a city of Sidon, unto a woman that was a widow. And this was brought about by a particular appointment of God.

God made him go on a long journey, as far as Sidon, so that after seeing the famine in the country, he would ask the Lord for rain. There were many rich men at that time, but none of them did anything like the widow. For her riches consisted not of lands but of goodwill, which was shown in the respect she gave the prophet.

St. Ambrose of Milan: But he speaks of a mystery, saying, in the days of Elias, because Elijah brought the day to those who saw the light of spiritual grace in his works. And so heaven was opened to those who beheld the divine mystery, but it was shut when there was a famine, because there was no fruitfulness in acknowledging God. But in that widow to whom Elijah was sent, a type of the Church was prefigured.

Origen of Alexandria: For when a famine of hearing the word of God came upon the people of Israel, a prophet came to a widow, of whom it is said, For the desolate has many more children than she which has an husband. And when he came, he multiplied her bread and her nourishment.

The Venerable Bede: Sidon signifies a vain pursuit; Sarepta signifies fire or a scarcity of bread. By all these things, the Gentiles are signified. Given over to vain pursuits, like following after profit and worldly business, they were suffering from the flames of fleshly lusts and the lack of spiritual bread. This continued until Elijah (that is, the word of prophecy), now that the interpretation of the Scriptures had ceased because of the faithlessness of the Jews, came to the Church to be received into the hearts of believers, that he might feed and refresh them.

St. Basil the Great: Every widowed soul, deprived of virtue and divine knowledge, as soon as she receives the divine word, recognizes her own failings and learns to nourish it with the bread of virtue and to water the teaching of virtue from the fountain of life.

Origen of Alexandria: He also cites another similar example, adding, And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Eliseus the prophet; and none of them was cleansed, saving Naaman the Syrian, who indeed was not from Israel.

St. Ambrose of Milan: Now, in a mystery, one people pollutes the Church, so that another people might succeed it, gathered together from foreigners. This people is leprous at first, before it is baptized in the mystical stream, but after the sacrament of baptism, it is washed from the stains of body and soul and begins to be a virgin without spot or wrinkle.

The Venerable Bede: For Naaman, which means “beautiful,” represents the Gentile people, who are ordered to be washed seven times because the baptism that saves is the one which the seven-fold Spirit renews. After washing, his flesh began to appear like a child’s, because grace, like a mother, brings all to one childhood, or because he is conformed to Christ, of whom it is said, to us a Child is born.