James
Primary Scriptures:
Luke 4: 14-44
Story Summary:
The beginning of the ministry of Jesus
Location:
Galilee
Time:
Circa 30 AD
Luke introduces James into this story when Jesus taught in his hometown of Nazareth. The unbelieving people of Nazareth used the existence of Jesus’ family to dispel the notion that Jesus was anything special.1 Luke thought it was important to point out that Jesus was rejected in his hometown. Apparently, Luke wanted us to know that familiarity does breed contempt, so we must guard against that in our own lives.
When Jesus made it clear that non-Jews will receive salvation, the people became enraged and tried to kill him. The Jews of the time were very jealous of their special relationship with God.
There is no proof that James believed Jesus to be the Son of God while Jesus was alive. In fact, there are some verses that indicate Jesus’ brothers opposed his ministry. However, the book of Acts says that James later became the leader of the church in Jerusalem.
This episode portrays James as following Jesus for several days during his early ministry. There is nothing in the New Testament that says he did or did not do such a thing. This episode’s storyline does allow an understanding of why Jesus chose Capernaum as his headquarters instead of his hometown of Nazareth. We also get a glimpse of the early days of Jesus’ ministry when he spent much time healing people, casting out demons, and teaching. He did this not only in Capernaum, but also throughout the region of Judea.
Luke 4:31 is a hint of things to come. It says that the people were amazed because Jesus’ words had authority. The people were not just impressed, but absolutely amazed. Why? Probably because they were used to hearing religious leaders quote other religious leaders who quoted other religious leaders. The words they were hearing from their religious leaders may have been correct, but they certainly lacked true authority and authenticity.
Of the many religious leaders of the time, the Pharisees were most stung by the reaction of the people. They knew the Scriptures, studied all the time, and were devoted to following the rules they had made so they could better satisfy God, so the authority of Jesus was a serious threat to their leadership positions.
1 Matthew 13:53-58
Eyewitness Bible Series
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