And he marveled because of their unbelief. And he went round about the villages, teaching.
Read Chapter 6
Augustine of Hippo
AD 430
De Con. Evan., ii, 42: Matthew indeed says that He was called the son of a carpenter; nor are we to wonder, since both might have been said, for they believed Him to be a carpenter, because He was the son of a carpenter.
For although human things are not to be compared with divine, still the type is complete, because the Father of Christ works by fire and spirit. It goes on: “The brother of James, and Joses, of Jude, and of Simon. And are not his sisters here with us? "They bear witness that His brothers and sisters were with Him, who nevertheless are not to be taken for the sons of Joseph or of Mary, as heretics say, but rather, as is usual in Scripture, we must understand them to be His relations, as Abraham and Lot are called brothers, though Lot was brother’s son to Abraham. "And they were offended at Him.” The stumbling and the error of the Jews is our salvation, and the condemnation of heretics. For so much did they despise the Lord Jesus Christ, as to call Him a carpenter, and son of a carpenter. It goes on: “And Jesus said unto them, A Prophet is not without honour, but in his own country.”.
Not as if He Who knows all things before they are done, wonders at what He did not expect or look forwar...
He wondered because of their unbelief. This seems to conflict with what is said in Luke 4:22, And all bare Him record, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of His mouth. I answer, that the inhabitants of Nazareth wondered, indeed, that Jesus, the son of a carpenter, their well-known neighbour, should be so wise and eloquent, and yet were incredulous with respect to His doctrine and person, that He was in very deed the Messias or Christ. And that this was so is plain from what Luke subjoins.
Jesus is called the son of a workman, of that one, however, whose work was the morning and the sun, that is, the first and second Church, as a figure of which the woman and the damsel are healed.
Oftentimes also the origin of a man brings him contempt, as it is written, “Who is the son of Jesse?” for the Lord “hath respect unto the lowly; as to the proud, He beholdeth them afar off.”
After the miracles which have been related, the Lord returns into His own country, not that He was ignorant that they would despise Him, but that they might have no reason to say, If Thouhadst come, we had believed Thee.Wherefore it is said, “And He went out from thence, and came into His own country. "It goes on: “And when the sabbath day was come, He began to teach in the synagogue; and many hearing Him were astonished, saying, From whence hath this man these things? and what wisdom is this which is given unto him, that even such mighty works are wrought by his hands? "By wisdom is meant His doctrine, by powers, the cures and miracles which He did. It goes on: Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary?”.
Or again, if the prophet has noble relations, his countrymen hate them, and on that account do not honour the prophet. There follows, “And He could there do no mighty work” What, however, is here expressed by He could not, we must take to mean, He did not choose, because it was not ...
