Background

Luke chapter 4 verses 23 to 43 - And he (Jesus) said to them, "No doubt you will quote this proverb to me, 'Physician, heal yourself! Whatever we heard was done at Capernaum, do here in your hometown as well.' "And he said, "Truly I say to you, no prophet is welcome in his hometown. "But I say to you in truth, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the sky was shut up for three years and six months, when a great famine came over all the land; and yet Elijah was sent to none of them, but only to Zarephath, in the land of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow. "And there were many lepers in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet; and none of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian." And all the people in the synagogue were filled with rage as they heard these things; and they got up and drove him out of the city, and led him to the brow of the hill on which their city had been built, in order to throw him down the cliff. But passing through their midst, he went his way. And he came down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee, and he was teaching them on the Sabbath; and they were amazed at his teaching, for his message was with authority. In the synagogue there was a man possessed by the spirit of an unclean demon, and he cried out with a loud voice, "Let us alone! What business do we have with each other, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are-the Holy One of God!" But Jesus rebuked him, saying, "Be quiet and come out of him!" And when the demon had thrown him down in the midst of the people, he came out of him without doing him any harm. And amazement came upon them all, and they began talking with one another saying, "What is this message? For with authority and power he commands the unclean spirits and they come out." And the report about him was spreading into every locality in the surrounding district. Then he got up and left the synagogue, and entered Simon's home. Now Simon's mother-in-law was suffering from a high fever, and they asked him to help her. And standing over her, he rebuked the fever, and it left her; and she immediately got up and waited on them. While the sun was setting, all those who had any who were sick with various diseases brought them to him; and laying his hands on each one of them, he was healing them. Demons also were coming out of many, shouting, "You are the Son of God!" But rebuking them, he would not allow them to speak, because they knew him to be the Christ. When day came, Jesus left and went to a secluded place; and the crowds were searching for him, and came to him and tried to keep him from going away from them. But he said to them, "I must preach the kingdom of God to the other cities also, for I was sent for this purpose."

There is a marked contrast between the people in the two locations. After speaking at Nazareth the people tried to kill him (verse 29). Whereas at Capernaum he was popular with crowds seeking him out (verse 42).

There would have been some in Nazareth, such as his family members, who were positively receiving him (Acts chapter 1 verse 14).

Jesus used Capernaum as a base and went back there on a number of occasions (e.g. Luke chapter 7 verse 1). From other references to the town there was a difference between those who followed him and those who stayed at the town. Despite Jesus’ regular presence, the miracles they saw and the message they heard, there were those who did not respond and stayed behind. This resulted in a sad epitaph on Capernaum the place (Luke chapter 10 verse 15).

Jesus sometimes talks about a spiritual affect in regard to whole nations or generations (Luke chapter 7 verse 31; 11 verse 29).

He is seeking a generation who will follow him (1 Peter chapter 2 verses 9,10), a body of people who together express the stature of the fulness of Christ (Ephesians chapter 4 verse 13).