Matthew 13:53-58 The Humanity of Jesus

When Jesus had finished these parables, He departed from there. He came to His hometown and began teaching them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished, and said, "Where did this man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers? Is not this the carpenter's son? Is not His mother called Mary, and His brothers, James and Joseph and Simon and Judas? And His sisters, are they not all with us? Where then did this man get all these things?" And they took offense at Him. But Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown and in his own household."  And He did not do many miracles there because of their unbelief. [Matthew 13:53‭-‬58 NASB]

As Christians we often emphasize the deity of Jesus. He is God, the Son. But in this visit to His hometown, we see a glimpse into the humanity of Jesus.

The first thing to note about the reaction of His fellow Nazarenes is their astonishment. There have been all sorts of speculations about the childhood of Jesus. Speculative stories tell of Him raising a bird from the dead, or performing other acts of wonder. But the astonishment of His countrymen indicates otherwise.

If Jesus had lived anything but an ordinary life before He started His ministry, His words and actions would have been expected. But, apparently, there was nothing special to be seen in Him.

He wasn't regarded as a scholar, or as one who is particularly knowledgeable, or pious, or holy. They knew Him as the carpenter's son. Mark 6:3 refers to Jesus Himself as a carpenter. As such He would have been respected for His skill as a carpenter, but otherwise despised as a poor laborer. He certainly wouldn't be classed with the rabbis and scribes, having received no formal education.

The people of Nazareth knew Jesus' mother was Mary, who had given birth to His four brothers plus sisters. Mary should be honored for her role in the birth of Jesus, but she should not be deified. There is no indication in the Bible that she remained a perpetual virgin. Matthew 1:25 says that Joseph "kept her a virgin until she gave birth to a Son; and he called His name Jesus."

When Jesus taught and performed miracles, the Pharisees were offended because He challenged their traditions. The townspeople of Nazareth didn't care about that. They were offended by the ordinariness of Jesus. How could somebody so ordinary, so much like us, say and do these things? They probably believed, like many of us, that great men come from great beginnings. They are born in kings palaces, they attend prestigious universities. And, perhaps most importantly, they come from somewhere else.

As always, Jesus is our great example of how to live. I have known some pious people. They are always seen clutching their Bible. They are quick to condemn the sin of others, and love to quote scriptures at people. But I don't see Jesus acting like that.

Jesus was the holiest man who ever lived, and nobody knew it. All the people he knew saw an ordinary boy grow up to be an ordinary man, until He began His ministry. Jesus taught us in the sermon on the mount that we are to pray privately, give without seeking recognition, and fast in secret. In other words, we are not to show outward displays of piety, but we are to live righteously in the sight of God. If you want to be holy, let your holiness come from God, and let it be between you and God, and not before men.