The Synagogue Church


Luke 4:16-27
When Jesus came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, he went to the synagogue on the sabbath day, as was his custom. He stood up to read, and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written: 
‘The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
   because he has anointed me
     to bring good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives
   and recovery of sight to the blind,
     to let the oppressed go free, 
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour.’ 
And he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. Then he began to say to them, ‘Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.’ All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth. They said, ‘Is not this Joseph’s son?’ He said to them, ‘Doubtless you will quote to me this proverb, “Doctor, cure yourself!” And you will say, “Do here also in your home town the things that we have heard you did at Capernaum.” ’ And he said, ‘Truly I tell you, no prophet is accepted in the prophet’s home town. But the truth is, there were many widows in Israel in the time of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up for three years and six months, and there was a severe famine over all the land; yet Elijah was sent to none of them except to a widow at Zarephath in Sidon. There were also many lepersin Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha, and none of them was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian.’

 ---------------------------------------

The place this happened in Nazareth is called the Synagogue Church. Nazareth remained a primarily Jewish community until the Byzantine era in the 5th century. By the 6th Century, it had been converted into a church. 
The Icon behind the Altar is depicting what happened here. 

 Architectural remains of the original synagogue are still found in this Franciscan friary. The vaulted hall pictured here is a later Crusader church built on the existing ruins. The stone floor and remnants of the synagogue are from Jesus' time. 
Place where Jesus proclaimed, 'Today, this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing!"


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