Catholic Commentary on Luke 4

"The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor." (Luke 4:18)

The Temptation in the Desert

Full of the Holy Spirit, Jesus is led by the Spirit into the wilderness for forty days. The number is resonant: forty years Israel wandered in the desert, forty days Moses fasted on the mountain. Jesus recapitulates Israel's history and succeeds where Israel failed. The devil tempts him with bread, with power over all the kingdoms of the world, and with a spectacular leap from the pinnacle of the Temple. Each temptation is a version of the same fundamental offer: use your divine power for yourself, claim what is yours without the Cross.

Jesus answers every temptation with the word of God, specifically with Deuteronomy, the book of Israel's covenant faithfulness in the desert. Man shall not live on bread alone. You shall worship the Lord your God and serve him only. Do not put the Lord your God to the test. The Catechism teaches that the temptations of Jesus sum up the temptations of every human being: the temptation to turn stones into bread is the temptation to make comfort the goal of life; the temptation of world domination is the temptation to seek power rather than service; the temptation of the leap is the temptation to test God rather than trust him (CCC 538).

The Proclamation at Nazareth

Jesus returns to Galilee and goes to the synagogue in Nazareth on the Sabbath. He is handed the scroll of Isaiah and reads: The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favour. He rolls up the scroll, sits down, and says: Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing. There is no announcement greater than this: the long-awaited Jubilee has come. The prisoner is freed, the blind see, the poor hear good news, today, here, in this synagogue in Nazareth.

The crowd initially marvels, but when Jesus implies that the blessings of the Messiah will go to the Gentiles as they went to the widow of Zarephath and Naaman the Syrian, the mood turns murderous. They drive him to a cliff to throw him off. He walks through the crowd and goes on his way. Luke records this rejection at the very beginning of the ministry as a foreshadowing of the Cross. The hometown refuses the prophet. The world rejects its Saviour. But nothing stops him.

Authority over Demons and Disease

In Capernaum Jesus teaches with authority, drives out a demon, heals Peter's mother-in-law, and at sunset heals all who are brought to him. The whole town gathers at the door. But the next morning he goes to a solitary place. When the crowd finds him and tries to keep him from leaving, he says: I must proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns also, because that is why I was sent. He cannot be domesticated by any single community's needs. His mission is universal.

Living the Word

Brothers and sisters, the programme Jesus announces at Nazareth is the programme of the Church in every age: good news to the poor, freedom to the captive, sight to the blind, liberation for the oppressed. This is not a political manifesto. It is the description of what happens wherever Christ enters a human life. Ask yourself today: where in your world is someone waiting for this proclamation? You are the one sent to bring it.

Prayer

Lord Jesus, anointed by the Spirit to bring good news to the poor, send us in your name to those who are waiting for the word that changes everything. Give us your courage to speak, your wisdom to act, and your love to stay when the welcome runs out. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

4
The Temptation of Jesus
(Matthew 4:1–11; Mark 1:12–13)
1 Then Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness,* 4:1 Or in the wilderness 2 where for forty days He was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and when they had ended, He was hungry.
 
3 The devil said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.”
 
4 But Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone.’† 4:4 Deuteronomy 8:3; BYZ and TR on bread alone, but on every word of God.”
 
5 Then the devil led Him up to a high place and showed Him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. 6 “I will give You authority over all these kingdoms and all their glory,” he said. “For it has been relinquished to me, and I can give it to anyone I wish. 7 So if You worship me, it will all be Yours.”
 
8 But Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve Him only.’‡ 4:8 Deuteronomy 6:13”
 
9 Then the devil led Him to Jerusalem and set Him on the pinnacle of the temple. “If You are the Son of God,” he said, “throw Yourself down from here. 10 For it is written:
 
‘He will command His angels concerning You
to guard You carefully;
11 and they will lift You up in their hands,
so that You will not strike Your foot against a stone.’§ 4:11 Psalms 91:11–12”
 
12 But Jesus answered, “It also says, ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’* 4:12 Deuteronomy 6:16”
 
13 When the devil had finished every temptation, he left Him until an opportune time.
Jesus Begins His Ministry
(Isaiah 9:1–7; Matthew 4:12–17; Mark 1:14–15)
 
14 Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and the news about Him spread throughout the surrounding region. 15 He taught in their synagogues and was glorified by everyone.
The Rejection at Nazareth
(Isaiah 61:1–11; Matthew 13:53–58; Mark 6:1–6)
 
16 Then Jesus came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. As was His custom, He entered the synagogue on the Sabbath. And when He stood up to read, 17 the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to Him. Unrolling it, He found the place where it was written:
 
18 “The Spirit of the Lord is on Me,
because He has anointed Me
to preach good news to the poor.
He has sent Me to proclaim liberty to the captives † 4:18 BYZ and TR He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives
and recovery of sight to the blind,
to release the oppressed,
19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”‡ 4:19 Or to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord; Isaiah 61:1–2 (see also LXX)
 
20 Then He rolled up the scroll, returned it to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fixed on Him, 21 and He began by saying, “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”
 
22 All spoke well of Him and marveled at the gracious words that came from His lips. “Isn’t this the son of Joseph?” they asked.
 
23 Jesus said to them, “Surely you will quote this proverb to Me: ‘Physician, heal yourself! Do here in Your hometown what we have heard that You did in Capernaum.’ ”
 
24 Then He added, “Truly I tell you, no prophet is accepted in his hometown. 25 But I tell you truthfully that there were many widows in Israel in the time of Elijah, when the sky was shut for three and a half years and great famine swept over all the land. 26 Yet Elijah was not sent to any of them, but to the widow of Zarephath in Sidon. 27 And there were many lepers § 4:27 A leper was one afflicted with a skin disease. See Leviticus 13. in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet. Yet not one of them was cleansed—only Naaman the Syrian.”
 
28 On hearing this, all the people in the synagogue were enraged. 29 They got up, drove Him out of the town, and led Him to the brow of the hill on which the town was built, in order to throw Him over the cliff. 30 But Jesus passed through the crowd and went on His way.
Jesus Expels an Unclean Spirit
(Mark 1:21–28)
 
31 Then He went down to Capernaum, a town in Galilee, and on the Sabbath He began to teach the people. 32 They were astonished at His teaching, because His message had authority.
 
33 In the synagogue there was a man possessed by the spirit of an unclean demon. He cried out in a loud voice, 34 “Ha! What do You want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have You come to destroy us? I know who You are—the Holy One of God!”
 
35 But Jesus rebuked the demon. “Be silent!” He said. “Come out of him!” At this, the demon threw the man down before them all and came out without harming him.
 
36 All the people were overcome with amazement and asked one another, “What is this message? With authority and power He commands the unclean spirits, and they come out!” 37 And the news about Jesus spread throughout the surrounding region.
Jesus Heals at Peter’s House
(Matthew 8:14–17; Mark 1:29–34)
 
38 After Jesus had left the synagogue, He went to the home of Simon, whose mother-in-law was suffering from a high fever. So they appealed to Jesus on her behalf, 39 and He stood over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her. And she got up at once and began to serve them.
 
40 At sunset, all who were ill with various diseases were brought to Jesus, and laying His hands on each one, He healed them. 41 Demons also came out of many people, shouting, “You are the Son of God!” But He rebuked the demons and would not allow them to speak, because they knew He was the Christ.
Jesus Preaches in Judea
(Mark 1:35–39)
 
42 At daybreak, Jesus went out to a solitary place, and the crowds were looking for Him. They came to Him and tried to keep Him from leaving. 43 But Jesus told them, “I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns as well, because that is why I was sent.”
 
44 And He continued to preach in the synagogues of Judea.* 4:44 BYZ and TR Galilee; see Mark 1:39.

*4:1 4:1 Or in the wilderness

†4:4 4:4 Deuteronomy 8:3; BYZ and TR on bread alone, but on every word of God.

‡4:8 4:8 Deuteronomy 6:13

§4:11 4:11 Psalms 91:11–12

*4:12 4:12 Deuteronomy 6:16

†4:18 4:18 BYZ and TR He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives

‡4:19 4:19 Or to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord; Isaiah 61:1–2 (see also LXX)

§4:27 4:27 A leper was one afflicted with a skin disease. See Leviticus 13.

*4:44 4:44 BYZ and TR Galilee; see Mark 1:39.

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