West Point Grey United Church
WPGUC
Feb 03, 2025

God’s Grace

Luke 4:21-30

Reflection:

A long time ago, when I was part of a church congregation, I remember the minister pleading with us: “Please, don’t embarrass young adults by sharing childhood stories about them. Avoid going on and on about how you knew them as babies in diapers or how mischievous they were as children.” To some of you it may sound unusual, but in my culture, it is quite common for people to do this as a way of showing they have a deep connection with the person and their family. However, the minister pointed out that such remarkes often made young people feel uncomfortable, as if they would never be seen as anything more than a child.

When young adults graduate from high school, many tend to leave the church, often returning years later when they are married and settled. They may have been noisy children once, but now, they’ve grown into their own identities and taken on significant responsibilities. Some have entered serious professions, working as accountants, engineers, or teachers.

It’s no surprise that they dislike being constantly reminded of their old “diaper stories” upon their return to church. And what is the result? They are less likely to come back.

We often assume that we know young adults well, but we may not fully respect them or recognize them as the individuals they have become. This is especially true for tose we have known closely for many years.

I imagine Jesus found himself in a similar situation when he returned to the synagogue in Nazareth, his hometown.

By the time Jesus left Nazareth at the age of thirty, he had been baptised in the river Jordan and had travelled to many places, performing miraculous deeds: Changing water to wine in Cana and healing the sick in other towns. The people of Nazareth had heard about these wonders and knew of his great works.

In today’s passages, Jesus delivers his first sermon in a synagogue as a visiting rabbi. He reads from Isaiah, proclaiming the message of Jubilee. The congregation is initially impressed by his confident reading of scripture and amazed by the message of divine grace.

Yet, their admiration quickly fades when Jesus applies the prophetic words to their present reality. Some begin to question: “Isn’t this Joseph’s son, the one we’ve known since he was just a kid?” (The Message)

The Gospel of Matthew provides more details: “Where did this man get this wisdom and these mighty works? Is not this the carpenter’s son? Is not his mother called Mary? And are not his brothers James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas? And are not all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all this?” And they took offence at him.”

We can clearly hear the people’s mixed feelings of amazement and doubt. They are astonished by this once-local young man who speaks of freedom and liberation. Yet, at the same time, they remain skeptical. They cannot imagine Joseph’s child could possess such wisdom and insight. Referring to Jesus as Joseph’s son may also hint at the lingering skepticism of neighbours who still recall certain rumours around his birth.

Distrust and disbelief often grow from familiarity. I imagine Jesus must have felt deeply discouraged, and why wouldn’t he? These were his neighbours, the very people who had known him as a child and young adult. Yet, now, they seemed like strangers, unable recognize the person he had become. Perhaps it is true that when people know someone too well, they struggle to see them as someone of true significance.

Jesus knows that people are only looking for signs and wonders. “Show us signs and wonders! Prove that you are special! Demonstrate that you are a prophet, the Messiah!” they demanded. They seek signs and wonders but reject the person of Jesus. For Jesus, however, signs are not meant for skeptics, but for believers. It is the one who believes who is able to see.

In today’s passage, Jesus speaks about two prophets in Israel, Elijah and Elisha. During a severe famine, God sent the prophet Elijah to a Gentile widow, bypassing many widows in Israel. Similarly, God sent the prophet Elisha to a Gentile leper named Naaman, though there were many lepers in Israel. None of the Jews received Elijah’s help, and none of them were healed by Elisha. The repetition of the phrase, “none of them,” makes Jesus’ point clear: the prophets did not rescue their own people but instead went to Gentiles, who were considered outsiders and could not claim to be God’s people. God’s mercy and grace extended beyond Israel, flowing to the poor and marginalized. As Jesus recounts these stories, the crowd understand his message – and they are filled with anger, driving him out of town.

Amy-Jill Levine, a Jewish New Testament scholar, explains that the crowd’s rage and rejection of Jesus were not due to God’s blessings being extended to the Gentiles, non-Jews, but rather because Jesus withheld his powers from them. This leads us to wonder: why doesn’t Jesus bless his own hometown, Nazareth?

Some scholars suggest there may have been tension between Nazareth, a small farming village, and Capernaum, a more populous fishing centre. Matthew records: “Jesus left Nazareth and made his home in Capernaum.” This shift might not have been well received by the people of Nazareth. Also, Capernaum may have been home to a Roman garrison, a group of Roman soldiers, and a number of Gentiles. Perhaps some wondered: “Why would ‘our’ Jesus live among enemies and outcasts?” Feeling shunned by his hometown, Jesus responds, “Truly I tell you, no prophet is accepted in the prophet’s hometown.”

By including the stories of Elijah and Elisha, Luke demonstrates that the people of God are discovering true faith beyond society’s narrow definitions, boundaries, and theologies. Jesus interpretated his ministry in this light. Both stories reveal that God is at work beyond our imagination and expectations, showing us that God’s grace is for everyone, everywhere. God’s grace flows like water, covering all things. A Christian writer Scot McKnight once said, God’s loving arms extend around the globe, encompassing adults, trees, mountains, children, rivers, birds, moms, dads, lions, elephants, the poor, diverse cultures and ethnicities, governments, art shows and building projects. They stretch over golf courses and sweatshops, country clubs and inner-city slums, high-rise penthouses and ghettos. In other words, God’s grace is all about inclusion.

We are categorized in many ways: by ethnicity, nation, religion, ideology, job, sex, gender, and social status. But these differences do not mean I am right and you are wrong. We are simply different. God calls us to open our hearts and embrace those who lie outside our boundaries. God’s grace is not a potluck supper shared only among ourselves; rather it is the marriage supper of the Lamb, to which everyone is invited. Jesus boldly proclaimed God’s love for all people, even in front of his own community, breaking through boundaries and tradition.

Our God is uniting God, not separating one, and it is the universal nature of God’s grace. God’s grace flows like water covering everyone in the world.

Thanks be to Jesus, who calls us to be courageous, as he was, in breaking down the walls that divide us in every area of society. Amen.