Commentary

4th Sunday - C
Luke 4:21-30

Human Expectations and Demands

In the beginning of the Gospel passage, the people of Nazareth are thrilled with Jesus' words. St. Luke reports, "All spoke highly of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth." (4:22)

But they want action, and they want it their way. So they demand, "Do here in your native place the things that we heard were done in Capernaum." (4:23)

And that marks the beginning of the downfall of the people of Nazareth. Because of their expectations and demands, they want Jesus to do things their way. When their expectations and demands are not met and the initial thrills are over, they can no longer accept Jesus' words. They even want to kill him.

Because of their attitude, "Jesus will never again return to Nazareth." In fact, he moves to Capernaum. There, and elsewhere, he'll performs miracles, but never in Nazareth. [1]

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[1] Francis J Moloney, SDB. The Gospel of the Lord: Reflections on the Gospel Readings - Year C. Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 1994, p. 122.