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Explanation for:
Matthew
13
:
58
And he wrought not many miracles there, because of their unbelief.
8
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{"arr":[{"author-name":"Jerome of Stridon","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c88dcd3432c6dd41375498_Jerome%20of%20Stridon.png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":4,"exegesis-text":"He did not perform many miracles in that place, as it is written: He did not reveal much power—non fecit ibi virtutes multas—due to their lack of faith. This does not imply that He was unable to display significant power because of their disbelief; rather, it signifies that He judged His unfaithful countrymen by withholding many signs and wonders. One may also interpret this as Jesus facing scorn in His own home and among His own people, the Jews. Thus, He carried out few miracles there, so as not to leave them entirely without evidence. In contrast, He worked a far greater number of signs daily through the apostles among the Gentiles, focusing more on the salvation of the soul rather than merely the healing of the body."},{"author-name":"John Chrysostom","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c88ea76859f9f8e2ffd3ee_John%20Chrysostom.png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":4,"exegesis-text":"In the Gospel of Luke, it is noted that \\"He did not do many signs there,\\" despite the expectation for Him to do so (cf. 1 Cor. 10:18). Even as He generated amazement among the people, one must ponder why He refrained from performing miracles. His intention was not to exhibit His power for the sake of recognition, but rather to provide true benefit to them. Since this aim remained unachievable, the Lord chose to withhold demonstrations of His strength, fearing that doing so might worsen their judgment. Despite having been present among them after a prolonged absence and having performed numerous wonders, they still could not endure His presence and were again filled with animosity. Why, then, did He limit His miracles? To prevent them from declaring, \\"Physician, heal Yourself\\" (Luke 4:23). Instead of acknowledging Him as their enemy or disparaging Him, they claimed that if miracles were performed, they would believe. Thus, He performed signs to accomplish His mission, but refrained from others to shield them from harsher condemnation. Grasp the profound significance of this: those filled with hatred could nonetheless marvel at His works. Similar to how they did not reject the miracles themselves but devised unfounded accusations, claiming, \\"He casts out demons by Beelzebub\\" (Matt. 12:34; Luke 11:15), they here neither condemned the teachings nor recognized the divinity of His message, but attributed it to the humble state of mankind."},{"author-name":"Peter Chrysologus","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c896c8505740d15218d3ed_Peter%20Chrysologus.png","category":"Christian Authors","century":5,"exegesis-text":"Christ arrived in His native land, as it is stated, He came to His own, and His own received Him not (John 1:11). Indeed, when He declared, A prophet is not without honor, except in his own country, He highlights the misfortune of lacking recognition among one’s own people, where the honor among one’s compatriots can lead to bitterness. The esteem of those close to us can become burdensome. When neighbors bestow honor upon each other, they often see it as a form of servitude. ‘And I did not perform many miracles there,’ He remarks, ‘due to their lack of faith. Miracles are absent where disbelief prevails. Though Christ expects no compensation for His healings, He feels discontent when faced with ingratitude instead of reverence."},{"author-name":"Theophylact of Bulgaria","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c8989296bafed9104677d7_Theophylact%20of%20Bulgaria.png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":11,"exegesis-text":"The Lord performed few miracles in that place due to their lack of faith, choosing to withhold His signs so that they would not remain in disbelief and face even harsher consequences. As a result, He worked only a limited number of miracles, preventing them from claiming that had He done more, they would have believed. It is important to recognize that Jesus is still disregarded in His homeland, among the Jewish people, while we, as outsiders, hold Him in high esteem."},{"author-name":"Euthymios Zigabenos","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c96d263b8c22d9c467bdab_no-pic-theosis.png","category":"Christian Authors","century":11,"exegesis-text":"You shall not allow the disbelief of many to diminish His power. He refers to miracles as manifestations of divine might. Consider the wisdom behind this. He performed certain miracles to prevent them from claiming, \\"Out of spite against us, He did not heal our sick,\\" or \\"If He had also worked among us, we would have believed.\\" Instead, He accomplished only a few miracles due to their lack of faith, as they refused to accept the signs performed. Consequently, Mark notes, \\"And He marvelled at their unbelief,\\" highlighting their profound audacity. While Matthew remarks that \\"you cannot perform many miracles,\\" Mark states, \\"And He could not perform any miracles there, except for healing a few sick people by laying His hands on them.\\" How can it be said that He could not? We often associate impossibility not merely with a deficiency of power but also with certain hindrances, as was the case here. His efforts were obstructed by the disbelief of those He sought to help. Therefore, \\"could not\\" denotes an encounter with an obstacle; He was not to bestow His favor upon them by compulsion."},{"author-name":"Abbot Panteleimon about the Trinity","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c96d263b8c22d9c467bdab_no-pic-theosis.png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"The details of this matter are presented by Luke the Evangelist, while Matthew offers a more concise account: \\"AND HE DID NOT WORK THEM MANY Miracles FOR THEIR UNBELIEF.\\" Mark further mentions that the Lord, prior to His attendance at the synagogue, had likely laid His hands on a few sick individuals and healed them. Thus, He was unable to perform any greater miracles there, resulting in His astonishment at their lack of faith. The blessed Theophylact explains that the Lord refrained from conducting numerous miracles due to their disbelief, as He wished to protect them from incurring a heavier judgment if, after witnessing the signs, they still chose to remain in disbelief. However, He performed a few signs to ensure they could not claim, \\"If He had done even a small miracle, we would have believed.\\" He recognized that even miraculous acts held little effect on these individuals; as stated in Luke 16:31, if someone were to rise from the dead, they would still not have faith. \\n\\nSt. Philaret, the Metropolitan of Moscow, reflects on the nature of divine power, noting that the omnipotence of God remains unchanged. Yet, a hardened heart may reject this gracious power, akin to a coarse stone that cannot accept light. Additionally, the sacred power may, out of divine compassion, refrain from addressing the unworthy, much like fire that does not consume straw to prevent it from vanishing. The saint poses the question of why miracles are so rarely observed and provides an answer that leads to the conclusion: we do not witness miracles, or we see them infrequently, either because they are hidden from those deemed unworthy or because they are not manifested due to our own lack of belief. \\n\\nHow can our prayers bring about miracles when they are often brief, unfeeling, inattentive, and stem not from genuine faith and love for God but rather from a dutiful compliance with His law? How can the spiritual Word effect miracles when our hearts resemble a neglected field, choked with weeds and cluttered with the distractions of worldly desires and sinful thoughts? How are the Sacraments capable of miraculous works if we approach them merely out of necessity, without adequate preparation, and without a heartfelt longing for communion with God? The Apostle Paul, addressing the Corinthians regarding their unworthy participation in the Body and Blood of Christ, concludes by stating: \\"Therefore many of you are weak and sick, and many die\\" (1 Cor. 11:30). This implies that some have been struck by sudden death for disrespecting what is sacred. It seems to me that for many of us, it would already qualify as a miracle of God's mercy if we do not suffer such consequences in similar circumstances."},{"author-name":"Michail (Lusin)","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c89550c567e172d15b3055_Michail%20(Lusin).png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"\\"Due to their lack of faith\\": the ability to perform miracles relies not solely on God's divine power but also on the belief of those for whom the miracles are intended. This is why the Lord consistently sought faith from those who approached Him for healing—when faced with skeptics who demanded signs and wonders, He always refrained, even though He possessed the power to perform miracles. Such acts would have been meaningless to the faithless and indifferent. His intention was not to reveal Himself but to bring them to a place of benefit. Thus, when He could not achieve this purpose, He chose not to focus on His own interests, so as to avoid amplifying their condemnation... But why did He carry out 'not many' miracles? To prevent their saying, \\"Physician, heal thyself\\" (Luke 4:23); to guard against accusations of being their adversary or showing contempt for His own people; to ensure they did not assert that with more miracles they would believe. Hence, He performed miracles but also withheld them, doing so to accomplish His mission while avoiding further judgment upon them. Consider the implications of this: those filled with Hatred still marveled. Yet, in critiquing the works of Christ, they do not take issue with the acts themselves, but rather fabricate unfounded accusations (Mt. 12:34, Lk. 11:15); similarly, in assessing the doctrine, they do not reject it outright but turn to their own Misery. This provides a logical and compelling explanation for why the Lord performed miracles in Nazareth, albeit few."},{"author-name":"Paul Matwejewski","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c8969f5be0d592d5a10576_Paul%20Matwejewski.png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"The unwavering skepticism of the Pharisees, along with the astonishment of the crowds at the miracles performed by the Lord, validated Simeon's prophecy regarding the Christ Child Jesus, who was destined for both the downfall and the uplift of many in Israel, with a sign that was met with opposition (Luke 2:34). The Jewish people found it challenging to let go of their idealized vision of the Messiah's triumphant kingdom; however, it was even more perplexing for those closest to the Lord during His childhood, the people of Nazareth, to acknowledge His divine nature. Despite expressing their doubt during His early teachings, the residents of Nazareth remained unyielding, even after Jesus had spread the Gospel across Galilee and Judea, performing numerous astonishing miracles that confirmed His role as God's messenger. When He returned to Nazareth with His disciples, He began to teach in the synagogue on the Sabbath. The wisdom bestowed upon Him and the works He executed raised questions among them: Is this not the carpenter? Is He not the son of the carpenter? Is not His mother named Mary, and His brothers James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas, and are not His sisters all among us? From where does He derive this? The skepticism did not only arise from the townsfolk but also from His disbelieving relatives (John 7:5). Consequently, the Lord reiterated the admonition previously stated (Luke 4:24): A prophet is without honor only in his own homeland, among his own kin, and within his own household. Due to the profound disbelief of those from His own community, Jesus Christ, as the sacred Evangelist narrates, was unable to perform any significant miracles, aside from laying His hands on a few sick individuals and healing them (Mk. 6:5). As St. John Chrysostom states, He performed signs while also refraining from many, intending to fulfill His mission while avoiding their further condemnation. Astonished by the lack of faith among the Nazarenes, the Lord departed His homeland and journeyed to other towns and villages throughout Galilee."}]}
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