Big Idea: When God’s word is proclaimed, there are different levels of response, ranging from those who take no notice to those whose lives are transformed.

Understanding the Text

At the heart of Jesus’s mission as announced in 4:14–21 is teaching and the proclamation of good news. We have had an important section of his teaching in 6:20–49, which concluded with trenchant comments on the importance of putting into practice what is heard—a theme that runs through this whole section. Since then, Jesus has continued to proclaim the good news all over Galilee (8:1). So it is time now to think about how that proclamation has been received. In particular, we have already seen that while some embrace the message with enthusiasm, others are skeptical or downright hostile. How can it be that the …