Luke 4:22

τοῖς λόγοις τῆς χάριτος. The words of the grace. Comp. Colossians 3:16, ἐν χάριτι ᾄδοντες. The word ‘grace’ does not here mean mercy or favour (Gnade), but beauty and attractiveness (Anmuth). This verse and John 7:46 are the chief proofs that there was in our Lord’s utterance an irresistible majesty and sweetness. Comp. Psalms 45:2; John 1:14. χάρις does not occur in the other Synoptists and only once in St John (John 1:14), but is common in St Luke, St Paul and St Peter.

οὐχὶ υἱός ἐστιν Ἰωσὴφ οὖτος; This points to a gradual change in the minds of the listening Nazarenes. The Jews in their synagogues did not sit in silence, but were accustomed to give full expression to their feelings, and to discuss and make remarks aloud. Jealousy began to work among them, Matthew 13:54; John 6:42. “The village beggarly pride of the Nazarenes cannot at all comprehend the humility of the Great One.” Stier. In making this purely irrelevant and grievous remark they were guilty of a very common fault;—they treated the matter of the Gospel as a subject for criticism, in order to suppress their more generous and spontaneous emotion. It was “faire de la critique pour échapper à la foi.”