Matthew 13:57 (Jesus, coffin, translation, prophet, bible)

[The Great Architect]

And they took offense at him.
But Jesus said to them, "Only in his hometown and in his own house is a prophet without honour."

I like this verse, me but I have difficulty digesting its meaning.

What are your thoughts?

Thank you.

[Te Deum]

Ver. 55. Is not this the carpenter's son?[1] I find carpenter in all translations, though the Greek word signifies, in general, a workman or craftsman. The Latin is also a general word, which of itself signifies no more a carpenter than a smith. But the common belief of the faithful is, that St. Joseph was a carpenter, which may be confirmed by what Theodoret relates (lib. iii. Hist. chap. xviii.) of one Libanius, under Julian the apostate, who asking scornfully of a holy man, what the carpenter's son was doing at that time? the holy man made him this smart reply, that he was making a coffin for Julian; who was killed not long after. (Witham) --- O! how truly astonishing is the stupidity of the Nazareans! They wonder whence wisdom itself possesses wisdom, and virtue itself virtue. The reason is evident: they only considered him as the son of a carpenter. (St. Jerome) --- Was not David the son of an husbandman, and Amos a shepherd? They should then have honoured our Lord, when they heard him speak in this manner. What wonderful mildness in Christ! Though calumniated and reviled, he still answers with the greatest humility and charity, a prophet is not without honour, save in his own country. (ver. 57.) (St. Chrysostom in St. Thomas Aquinas) --- His brethren. These were the children of Mary, the wife of Cleophas, sister of our blessed Lady; (Matthew xxviii. 56.; John xix. 25.) and therefore, according to the usual style of the Scripture, they were called brethren, that is, near relations to our Saviour. (Challoner)


Source: Haydock's Bible Commentary

[Francine]

Originally Posted by The Great Architect

I like this verse, me but I have difficulty digesting its meaning.

It means familiarity breeds contempt. In the time and place a prophet arises, he is persecuted. After he dies, and his writings are spread far and wide, only then is he exalted as a seer of God.

[Starfish]

Originally Posted by The Great Architect

I like this verse, me but I have difficulty digesting its meaning.

What are your thoughts?

Thank you.

Imagine your little brother called by God to be a prophet and all you can think about is finding his dirty socks in your bed when you were kids. Or . . . wasn't he that scrawny teenager who always needed a haircut, who used to hang around the corner store?

Sometimes we're sitting too close to see the bigger picture.

[The Great Architect]

I suppose, in the eyes of many people at the time, Jesus was a most unremarkable-looking person. He did not show off his power and was not particularly flashy.

He also refused to give signs, to people who weren't worthy of seeing them. Not a likely candidate for the Son of God.

[zookeeper]

It seems like prophets have rarely been accepted in there own lands.

[ben d]

Francine said

Originally Posted by The Great Architect
I like this verse, me but I have difficulty digesting its meaning.

In the time and place a prophet arises, he is persecuted. After he dies, and his writings are spread far and wide, only then is he exalted as a seer of God.


Yes indeed, Psalm 22 gives clarity in this regard ,..as well as being prescient.

[Godfather89]

"Jesus said, No prophet is welcome on his home turf; doctors don't cure those who know them." - Gospel of Thomas saying 31

It maybe Gnostic and heretical to you fundamentalist and traditionalist Christians but it has the same meaning: It means that its better to teach to someone who does not know you from a hole in the wall than to people who do know you as they will often have a preconceived notions about you.

[Heneni]

God uses prophets to correct the people, among many things.

I think by hometown he meant the isrealites. His people. So whereever his town is not..is where the isrealites were not. Hence the gentiles welcomed him instead. Those that could stand the light of his teachings that is...

Heneni

[Charity]

Originally Posted by The Great Architect

I like this verse, me but I have difficulty digesting its meaning.

What are your thoughts?

Thank you.

I believe that the city is Nazareth and it is referring to the fact that since everyone knew the real family of Jesus that they found it difficult to accept his teaching and the miracles that he performed. They could not believe that he was a prophet since he was from their own city. Probably like knowing someone in school and then they become a star and you can't believe it you always think of them as the person next door...