Now after two days he departed from there, and went into Galilee.
Read Chapter 4
Augustine of Hippo
AD 430
1. The Gospel Lesson of today follows that of yesterday, and this is the subject of our discourse. In this passage the meaning, indeed, is not difficult of investigation, but worthy of preaching, worthy of admiration and praise. Accordingly, in reciting this passage of the Gospel, we must commend it to your attention, rather than laboriously expound it.
Now Jesus, after His stay of two days in Samaria, departed into Galilee, where He was brought up. And the evangelist, as he goes on, says, For Jesus Himself testified that a prophet has no honor in his own country. It was not because He had no honor in Samaria that Jesus departed thence after two days; for Samaria was not His own country, but Galilee. Whilst, therefore, He left Samaria so quickly, and came to Galilee, where He had been brought up, how does He testify that a prophet has no honor in his own country? Rather does it seem that He might have testified that a prophet has no honor in his own country, had He disdained to go int...
After staying two days in Samaria, He departed into Galilee, where He resided: Now after two days He departed thence, and went into Galilee.
Why then does the Evangelist say immediately, For Jesus Himself testified, that a prophet has no honor in his own country. For He would seem to have testified more to the truth, had He remained in Samaria, and not gone into Galilee. Not so: He stayed two days in Samaria and the Samaritans believed on Him: He stayed the same time in Galilee, and the Galileans did not believe on Him, and therefore He said, that a prophet has no honor in his own country.
They had seen Him at Jerusalem, For they also went to the feast. Our Lord’s return has a mystical meaning,viz. that, when the Gentiles have been confirmed in the faith by the two precepts of love, i.e.at the end of the world, He will return to His country, i.e. Judea.
After two days, &c. That Isaiah , He went into other cities and villages of Galilee, leaving out Nazareth, His own city, as S. Matthew says ( Matthew 4:13).
He departs from Samaria, having now sown the Word of salvation, and like a husbandman hidden the faith in them that dwell there, not that it might be bound captive in the silence of them that received it, quiet and deep buried, but rather that it might grow in the souls of all, creeping on and advancing ever to the greater, and running to more evident might. But since He passes by Nazareth lying in the midst, wherein it is said that He was also brought up, so that He seemed to be from thence and its citizen, and goes down rather to Galilee; of necessity he offers an explanation of His passing it by, and says that Jesus Himself had testified that a prophet hath no honour in his own country. For it is our nature to think nothing of what we are accustomed to, even though it be great and of price. And the Saviour thought not good to seek honour from them, like a vain-glorious man and a braggart, but knew well that to those who have no thought that one ought to honour one's teacher, neither...
Or consider this the reason that He went, not to Capernaum, but to Galilee and Cana, as appears below, His country being, I think, Capernaum. As He did not obtain honor there, hear what He says; And you, Capernaum, which are exalted to heaven, shall be brought down to hell. He calls it His own country, because He had most resided here.
But do we not see many held in admiration by their own people? We do; but we cannot argue from a few instances. If some are honored in their own country, many more are honored out of it, and familiarity generally subjects men to contempt. The Galileans however received our Lord: Then when He was come into Galilee, the Galileans received Him. Observe how those who are spoken ill of, are always the first to come to Christ. Of the Galileans we find it said below, Search and, look, for out of Galilee arises no prophet. And He is reproached with being a Samaritan, You are a Samaritan, and have a devil. And yet the Samaritans and Galileans believe, to the cond...
Or thus: Our Lord on leaving Samaria for Galilee, explains why He was not always in Galilee: viz. because of the little honor He received there. A prophet has no honor in his own country.
