Chapter Four

1–13. The temptation of Jesus Christ in the wilderness. – 14–15. Christ’s appearance in Galilee. – 16–30. Christ’s preaching in the synagogue of Nazareth. – 31–44. A visit to Capernaum.

Luke 4:1. Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, Luke 4:2. where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and when they were over, he was famished. Luke 4:3. The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become a loaf of bread. Luke 4:4. Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘One does not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.’ Luke 4:5. Then the devil led him up and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. Luke 4:6. And the devil said to him, “To you I will give their glory and all this authority; for it has been given over to me, and I give it to anyone I please. Luke 4:7. If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours. Luke 4:8. Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him.’ Luke 4:9. Then he led him to Jerusalem, and placed him on the pinnacle of the temple, saying to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here; Luke 4:10. for it is written, ‘He will command his angels concerning you, to protect you’; Luke 4:11. ‘On their hands they will bear you up, so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.’ Luke 4:12. Jesus answered him, “It is said, ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’ Luke 4:13. When the devil had finished every temptation, he departed from him until an opportune time. The history of the temptation is related by the evangelist Luke in general accordance with the evangelist Matthew (Matt 4:1-11). But in the order of the individual temptations, the evangelist Luke differs from Matthew: in the second place he places the temptation which Matthew places in the third place (the temptation on the pinnacle of the temple). Since the path from the wilderness, where the first temptation occurred, to Jerusalem — where, as Matthew correctly reports, the second temptation took place — lay through the mountains, Luke, mentally following this path, decided to depict the temptation that occurred on the mountain earlier, before the temptation that took place in Jerusalem. And the fact that the evangelist Matthew correctly places this mountain temptation last in chronological order is evidenced by the fact that it ends with the words of the Lord: “Be gone, Satan.” Hardly could Satan turn to Christ with a new temptation after such a prohibition. “For forty days He was tempted...” (see Mark 1:13). “He ate nothing.” Only the evangelist Luke notes this. Christ observed complete abstinence from all food. “This stone.” In Matthew — “these stones.” The transformation of one stone into bread seemed sufficient to Satan. “World” (verse 5) more precisely than in the evangelist Matthew — “the kingdoms” (Matt 4:8; cf. Luke 2:1). “In an instant” — in one moment of time, in one instant (ἐν στιγμῇ χρόνου). This means that all the kingdoms of the world did not appear before Christ’s sight successively, one after another, but in one instantaneous image, despite the fact that they were located in different parts of the world. “To you I will give authority over all these kingdoms...” As a result of the fall of mankind, the world has indeed been subjected to the power of the devil in the sense, of course, that the devil draws people into his nets and leads them in his ways. He can, therefore, direct them to Christ as well, if he wishes. But, of course, it is a lie that this authority was given to him (certainly by God). If he does possess people, it is only by virtue of his craftiness and deceit. The only true ruler of all — God (Dan 4:14). “You will worship me” — more accurately: “before me” (ἐνωπίον ἐμοῦ). From this it is evident that the devil has in mind actual worship. “To protect you” (verse 10). This addition is only in the evangelist Luke. “Jesus answered him: It is said...” More accurately: “Jesus in answer said to him, It is said: do not put...” (ὅτι εἴρηται οὐκ). The evangelist Luke, thus, uses the words “it is said” in the sense of “as it is written,” and Christ’s speech in him begins with the words “do not put to the test.” It is clear that this sounds as a command to Satan from Christ Himself: “do not put to the test, Satan, Me — the Lord your God!” “When the devil had finished every temptation” — by these words the evangelist conveys the understanding that the devil had exhausted all his skill in tempting Christ and could devise nothing more. “Until an opportune time.” Such a convenient time for a new temptation turned out, according to Luke’s understanding (Luke 22:3), to be the appearance of Judas the traitor before Christ’s enemies with the offer to betray Him.

Luke 4:14. And Jesus, filled with the power of the Spirit, returned to Galilee, and a report about him spread through all the surrounding country. Luke 4:15. He began to teach in their synagogues and was praised by everyone. (See Mark 1:14). “In the power of the Spirit” that is, endowed with the power of the Holy Spirit. This power was manifest, of course, in the miracles which Christ began to perform. “A report about him,” that is, a report of these miracles. From this it is evident that, according to Luke’s understanding, Christ’s activity in Galilee was rather prolonged. “In their synagogues,” that is, in the synagogues of the Galileans.

Luke 4:16. When he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, he went to the synagogue on the sabbath day, as was his custom. He stood up to read, “Nazareth” (see the commentary on Matt 2:23). “Where he had been brought up” (see Luke 2:51 and following). “As was his custom.” During His public ministry, Christ had the custom of attending synagogues on the sabbath. This remark shows that the event described below occurred in a comparatively late period of Christ’s Galilean ministry (“custom” could develop over a period of time). “He stood up to read.” Usually the synagogue leader would invite someone known to him to undertake the reading of Scripture for the worshippers gathered in the synagogue, and that person, at the invitation of the leader, would stand — the other worshippers sat. But Christ, standing Himself, expressed thereby His desire to read, and since He was sufficiently known to the synagogue leader as a local resident — the evangelist Luke had not yet told of miracles of Christ in Nazareth — a scroll was given to Him.

Luke 4:17. And he was given the scroll of the prophet Isaiah. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written: “The scroll of the prophet Isaiah.” Apparently the reading from the Law (“parashat”) had already concluded when Christ expressed His desire to read. Therefore, a scroll of Isaiah was given to Him and He read from it, probably a passage appointed for that day (“haftarah”). The evangelist, saying that Christ, as soon as He unrolled the scroll, immediately found the section He needed, evidently wishes to note that the scroll of Isaiah did not open by chance on a certain page, but that this was the work of Divine Providence. The scroll of Isaiah, as with others of course, represented a bundle of pages wrapped around a rod and bound with a cord. At that time they wrote only on one side of the page. Such scrolls were kept in a special box, with the heads of the rods all at the top, and the name of each sacred book was written on each rod, so that they could easily be found when needed.

Luke 4:18. “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, Luke 4:19. to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor. See the commentary in the Commentary on the Gospel to the book of the prophet Isaiah (Isa 61:1-3). To what is said there should be added that the evangelist Luke here quotes the prophecy according to the text of the Seventy, but with some changes. Then, in our Russian translation of the Gospel, it reads: “because He has anointed me...” Meanwhile, it is more accurate from the Greek to translate: “for the reason that, because He (and) anointed me” (οὗ ἕνεκεν ἔχρισε). Thus, according to the Greek text, the abiding of the Spirit on Christ is something preceding the anointing or selection, whereas according to the original text, which the Russian translation follows, the abiding of the Spirit is conditioned by this very anointing. Anyway, the substance of the matter in both the original and the Seventy texts remains unchanged: the Holy Spirit abides on Christ, and He is the anointed one or Messiah in the exclusive sense of the word. “Anointed” — consecrated, appointed (St. Theophylact). “The poor” — both materially and spiritually oppressed (see Matt 5:3). Broken-hearted — the same as those who mourn (see Matt 5:4). Captives and blind — terms denoting the spiritual bondage and ignorance of people, whom the Messiah will set free from these. “Sight to the blind” — this is an addition of the Seventy. “To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.” Clearly, this contains a reference to the so-called jubilee year, which, indeed, through the abundance of benefits appointed for it by law (Lev 25:8 and following), was the best year established by God for the Hebrew people. Of course, by this “year” is understood the Messianic time of salvation for the Israeli people and for all mankind. It is remarkable that in this prophecy of Isaiah there is a designation of all types of anointing that existed in the Old Testament: a) prophetic anointing is denoted by the words: “to bring good news to the poor, to heal the broken-hearted”; b) royal: “to proclaim” (to announce) “to the captives” and so forth — all the prerogatives of the king, to whom it is granted everywhere to grant pardons, and c) high-priestly: “to proclaim the year...” since the priests announced the beginning of the jubilee year by order of the high priest. Thus, Christ is a Prophet, King, and High Priest. It should also be noted that, using the words from verse 19 about the “year” or “the year of the Lord” (ἐνιαυτὸν κυρίου), even the ancient heretics the Valentinians, and then many church interpreters asserted that Christ’s activity lasted only one year. But the expression “year,” clearly, in the evangelist Luke denotes the Messianic period in general, and could this period have appeared to the evangelist as so small, as one year? We are not even speaking of the fact that in the Gospel of John Christ’s ministry is determined as no less than three years...

Luke 4:20. And, closing the book and giving it to the attendant, He sat down; and the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on Him. The attendant of the synagogue took back from Christ the scroll of Isaiah that He had rolled up, and Christ, intending to speak concerning the prophecy He had read, sat down according to custom. All fixed their eyes upon Him: it is clear that Christ was already well-known at that time among the inhabitants of Nazareth.

Luke 4:21. And He began to say to them: Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing. The evangelist reports only the main thought of Christ’s address to the worshipers. “This scripture is fulfilled, heard by you” — the translation is not quite accurate. More correctly: “this scripture is fulfilled (that is, this written one; cf. Mark 12:10, where under “scripture” is also understood a separate prophecy) in your ears.” The voice of the One about whom Isaiah spoke has now reached the ears of the Nazarenes — Christ proclaims salvation to them and then, of course, will also accomplish it (cf. Mark 1:15 — “the time is fulfilled”).

Luke 4:22. And all bore witness to Him, and marveled at the gracious words that came from His mouth, and they said: Is not this the son of Joseph? “Bore witness to Him” — that is, expressed the thought that the reports about Christ that had reached them (verses 14 and following) accurately depicted His person. “At the gracious words” — that is, at the pleasant utterances. “And they said...” From the response of Christ that follows to these words of the Nazarenes, it is evident that in their words they expressed disbelief that the son of Joseph could accomplish all the promises contained in the passage quoted above from the book of the prophet Isaiah. Christ was for them a simple inhabitant of Nazareth, and in Him the Nazarenes had not seen any special qualities that, in their opinion, the Messiah ought to have.

Luke 4:23. He said to them: Surely you will say to Me this proverb: “Physician, heal yourself; do here, in your hometown, what we have heard was done in Capernaum. “Surely” — that is, I am sure of this (cf. 1 Cor 9:10). “Physician...” This proverb was often encountered among the rabbis, and also among Greek and Roman writers. Its meaning in the present case is as follows. Just as a physician who wishes to heal others must first demonstrate his skill on himself, so do you also. If You wish to come forward in the character of a God-sent Deliverer of Your people (cf. verse 21 with verses 18–19), then help first of all Yourself to free Yourself from that which hinders You in achieving Your goal — cause us to forget Your humble origin and Your modest life, which You have led up to now in Nazareth: perform such a miracle that would truly and immediately exalt You in the eyes of all of us. Then we will believe that You are sent by God. “In your hometown” — in your native city. “Was done in Capernaum.” Here is shown the rivalry of an insignificant city such as Nazareth with wealthy Capernaum. Clearly, the Lord had been in Capernaum before and performed there miracles which, however, up to that time the evangelist had not yet mentioned.

Luke 4:24. And He said: Truly I say to you: No prophet is accepted in his own hometown. (See Matt 13:57).

Luke 4:25. But truly I say to you: There were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, so that there came a great famine over all the land; Luke 4:26. and to none of them was Elijah sent, except to Zarephath in the land of Sidon, to a widow; Luke 4:27. And there were many lepers in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha; and none of them was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian. Having said that the rejection of prophets by their fellow countrymen is a well-known fact, Christ now, in order to explain His, which was so striking to His countrymen, some preference for a foreign city — Capernaum — points to the fact that in the Old Testament the prophets sometimes performed miracles not for their fellow countrymen, but for foreign people, even for pagans. Three and a half years the rain did not fall during Elijah’s time, according to the Lord’s reckoning. And yet in the book of Kings it is said that the rain came on the third year (1 Sam 17:1). According to all likelihood, here, as in the epistle of the apostle James (Jas 5:17), the count of these years is done according to Jewish tradition (Yalkut Shimoni to 3 Kings), in which the figure of three and a half years was a common term for denoting chiefly an unfortunate epoch (cf. Dan 12:7). “Over all the land” — this is a hyperbolic expression. Zarephath of Sidon — a city that stood in dependence on Sidon and was located on the shore of the Mediterranean Sea. Now — the village of Sarafand (cf. 1 Sam 17:9 and following). “Lepers” (see Matt 8:1 and following). “In the time of the prophet Elisha” (see 1 Sam 19:16 and following). On Naaman see 2 Sam 5.

Luke 4:28. Hearing this, all in the synagogue were filled with anger Luke 4:29. and, rising up, they drove Him out of the city and led Him to the brow of the hill on which their city was built, so that they might throw Him down; Luke 4:30. but He, passing through their midst, went His way. The fascination with Christ’s speech quickly turned to terrible anger in the souls of the Nazarenes against Him who had dared to place them below the pagans. The latter appeared in His representation to be better than the Jews — this they could not bear, and, despite it being the Sabbath, they began to push Christ out of the synagogue and then out of the city. The road from the city, which lay on the slopes of the hills, rose steeply upward (on the western edge of the city), and the Nazarenes, apparently pushing Christ onto this road, imperceptibly would have thrown Him from the cliff to which this road led and near which was a precipice of about forty feet above the valley lying below (this place is located above a Maronite church). But suddenly Christ stopped and, with one commanding glance, caused the people who were pushing Him to part, and calmly passed through their midst. Since He clearly took the road to Capernaum, which leads straight from this cliff, those who were pushing Him had to stop: beyond that point there was no longer any possibility of seemingly accidentally pushing Christ off the cliff. Is this the same event as the one described by the evangelists Matthew (Matt 13:54) and Mark (Mark 6:1-6)? No, this is a different event. The account of the evangelist Luke relates to the beginning of Christ’s ministry, while the accounts of the evangelists Matthew and Mark relate to a later time. This is the first proof. Second, here Christ appears without His disciples, but there — with His disciples. Third, according to the Gospel of Luke, Christ leaves Nazareth after the described attempt on His life, but in Matthew and Mark — He remains for some time in Nazareth even after the Nazarenes did not show confidence in Him. Finally — and this is most important — in Matthew and Mark there is no mention at all of an attempt on Christ’s life, which the evangelist Luke reports here. Is it not clear that Luke is describing a different event? However, certain similar details in his accounts and those of the other two synoptists are explained simply by the fact that such discourses about Christ’s origin must have been heard frequently among the ignorant Nazarenes.

Luke 4:31. And He came down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee, and taught them on the sabbaths. Luke 4:32. And they were astonished at His teaching, for His word was with authority. (See Mark 1:21-22). “Came” — more precisely: “came down” (κατῆλθεν). Nazareth lay higher than Capernaum, which was located at the shore of the Sea of Tiberias (see Matt 4:13). “His word was with authority” (cf. verse 14).

Luke 4:33. And in the synagogue there was a man who had the spirit of an unclean demon; and he cried out with a loud voice: Luke 4:34. saying: Leave us; what have You to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have You come to destroy us? I know You, who You are, the Holy One of God. Luke 4:35. Jesus rebuked him, saying: Be silent and come out of him. And the demon, throwing him down in the midst of them, came out of him, harming him not at all. Luke 4:36. And awe fell upon all, and they spoke with one another, saying: What is this word? For with authority and power He commands the unclean spirits, and they come out. Luke 4:37. And the report about Him went out into every place of the surrounding region. (See Mark 1:23-27). “An unclean demon” — more correctly: “a spirit of an unclean demon.” The adjective “unclean” is used alongside the word “demon” both here and in Mark, because among the Greeks the word “demon” (δαιμόνιον) did not necessarily mean an evil or unclean being. “Leave us.” This is not a verb, but simply an exclamation: “Hah!” (ἔα!), expressing surprise mixed with horror. “Harming him not at all” — a remark found only in Luke. “What is this?” — more accurately: What is this word or saying? In verse 32 amazement is expressed at Christ’s teaching; here — at His commands (verse 36). “That He” (verse 36) — more correctly: “because He.” The evangelist points to the cause that provoked the amazement. “With authority and power.” The first (ἐξουσία) means authority in Christ, the second (δύναμις) — the power that comes from it.

Luke 4:38. And He rose up from the synagogue and entered the house of Simon. Now Simon’s mother-in-law was afflicted with a great fever; and they asked Him about her. Luke 4:39. And standing over her, He rebuked the fever, and it left her. And immediately she rose and waited on them. (See Mark 1:29-31; Matt 8:14-15). “Rose up” — more precisely: “rising” (ἀναστάς). In the synagogue the Lord taught while sitting. “He entered...” — Luke omits, before verse 31, the mention of the calling of two pairs of brothers (cf. Mark 1:16-19), and so Christ appears here going alone. “Afflicted with a great fever.” Such comparative precision in defining the disease is natural in Luke the physician. “Asked Him about her” — of course, for her healing. Peter and his household. “Standing over her” — more precisely: “standing over her and bending down to her.” “Rebuked the fever.” This disease is represented here as if a hostile personal force.

Luke 4:40. Now when the sun was setting, all those who had any that were sick with various diseases brought them to Him; and He, laying His hands on each one of them, healed them. Luke 4:41. And demons also came out of many, crying out and saying: You are the Christ, the Son of God. But He rebuked them and did not allow them to speak, because they knew that He was the Christ. (See Mark 1:32-34; Matt 8:16). “Laying His hands” — a note only in Luke (cf. Matt 9:18). “Did not allow them to speak because they knew” — more correctly: “did not allow them to speak because they knew that He was the Messiah.”

Luke 4:42. And when it was day, He departed and went into a desolate place. And the multitudes sought Him and came to Him, and would have kept Him from leaving them. Luke 4:43. But He said to them: I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other cities as well, for I was sent for this purpose. Luke 4:44. And He preached in the synagogues of Galilee. (See Mark 1:35-39). “The multitudes” (more precisely “crowds”) “sought Him.” Since the evangelist Luke has not yet spoken of the calling of the apostles, the ones seeking Christ are the people in general, not Simon and those with him, as in Mark. “Having come to Him” — more precisely: “until they came to Him” (ἦλθον ἕως αύτοῦ). They did not cease seeking Christ until they found Him. “For this purpose I was sent” — that is, for this, that everywhere in the Jewish land I should preach. “In the synagogues of Galilee.” According to the better-attested reading: “of Judea.” But by Judea here is understood, of course, not the province of Judea, but the Jewish land in general, including also Galilee (cf. Luke 1:5).