Febuary 2, 2025, Luke 4: 21-30 Faith Beyond Miracles: Embracing the Word of God

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, grace and peace be with you all. As we celebrate Black History Month, a time to honor the struggles and triumphs of the African diaspora, this text reminds us that God’s grace transcends boundaries—racial, cultural, and generational. Let us dive into this passage together, with open hearts and minds, ready to be transformed by the Word of God. When Jesus read the scriptures and spoke in the synagogue on the Sabbath, what happened? There was an uproar. Everyone was amazed and astonished at his gracious words. But even though they were amazed and marveled at His gracious words, what happened? They began to doubt. They said, “Isn’t this Joseph’s son?” What does this mean? They were surprised that the Jesus they had heard about in rumors was the same Jesus they had watched grow up, the son of a carpenter. As a result, their amazement and marvel at His words turned into doubt and criticism. We, too, are not free from such prejudices. Once people allow prejudice to settle in, they often miss what is truly important. Here, the most important thing was the word itself. Even though they were moved by his gracious words, they ultimately rejected them because of their preconceived notions. Prejudice can arise from ignorance, but sometimes it comes from thinking we know too much. The people of Jesus’ hometown thought they knew him well, and because of this, they rejected the grace he proclaimed. Instead of accepting his message, they wanted something else. What they truly expected from Jesus was not his gracious words, but miraculous powers. Even though they were astonished by what he said, what they really wanted from him was something spectacular—something that would dramatically change their lives in an instant. They desired miracles that would benefit them personally rather than the truth that would transform them. Even today, many people in churches seek miracles and supernatural experiences rather than the word itself. Especially in times like these, when the world becomes more uncertain and individual lives grow more difficult, people tend to become even more interested in such tendencies. In religious studies, Christianity is considered a higher religion. But what distinguishes a higher religion from a lower one? The key distinction is whether 1 / 3 there is “self-denial” for eternal values. Religions that lack this aspect are considered lower religions—those that focus on superstitions, fortune-telling, and rituals aimed at personal gain. Even within religions known as higher religions, if one relies on mysteries or miracles for personal gain rather than pursuing truth through self-denial and carrying one’s cross, they are not truly following a higher religion. They are merely following a lower religion disguised as a higher one. Seeking personal gain through religion (using religion for one’s own benefit) means that, regardless of the religion’s name, such a person is following a lower religion. In verses 24-27, Jesus tells the story of the prophet Elijah to these lower religionists who considered themselves the chosen people. Who was Elijah? Later generations of Jews revered him as one of the greatest prophets. But in his own time, what was he? 1 Kings 17:1 describes him as a resident of Gilead. The Hebrew word “toshab” used here means a resident alien, a temporary worker who did not own land. It was also synonymous with a hired servant (Exod. 12:45; Lev. 22:10; 25:40). These individuals were not allowed to eat the Passover meal, and their children could be sold as slaves (Lev. 25:45). In other words, Elijah was nothing more than a temporary wage laborer from Tishbe in Gilead. Therefore, Elijah could not even reach the Jewish widows or lepers (they would not have listened to him), and as a result, even those people were not saved. In other words, the proud Jews heard Elijah’s words but did not believe them. There may have been many reasons for their disbelief, but in this context, it was because they could not accept that someone of such low social status—someone inferior to them—could be a prophet of God. In the same way, they rejected Jesus because they could not accept that God’s messenger could come from someone so ordinary in their eyes. This is much like people today rejecting wisdom or leadership from those they deem inferior—whether because of language barriers, refugee status, or social class. It is the same mentality that says, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” (John 1:46). The people of Nazareth struggled to see Jesus as more than what they had always known. They were unable to receive the message of grace because of their preconceived notions. Jesus understood this and did not perform miracles to prove himself. Faith that depends solely on signs and wonders remains fragile, as seen in Capernaum. Despite witnessing many miracles, their faith did not endure, and the city itself faded into history (Luke 10, Matthew 11:23). 2 / 3 On the other hand, how did the widow of Zarephath and Naaman the Syrian receive salvation? By acting according to the Word. Whether they believed in God or not, they listened to the prophet’s words and acted accordingly, and thus received salvation. Of course, this was a gift of God’s grace. They did not pay a high price for this salvation, nor did they strive or work hard for it. They simply acted according to the Word given to them at that moment. Even though they were Gentiles. What does “Gentile” mean? It means someone who does not know God, someone not chosen. But even though they were Gentiles, if they acted according to God’s will, where would God’s grace go? Does this message seem hard to understand? Jesus makes it clear: “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven” (Matt. 7:21-23). It is not religious acts or miraculous signs that bring salvation, but obedience to God’s will. We must take this teaching to heart. Jesus is revealing the superiority and exclusivity of those who, bound by a sense of being the chosen people, believe that God’s grace is only for people like them— whether consciously or unconsciously. He is exposing the hypocrisy of those who know about God and His Word but do not believe, and those who claim to believe in God but do not live according to His Word. God is constantly sending His people to bring about change. Whether they listen to His Word or not, whether they become angry when their hypocrisy and double standards are exposed or not, God is revealing the world through Christ and His disciples. Why? Because to bring about change, repentance, and transformation. The people of Nazareth rejected Jesus because he did not fit their expectations. But Jesus does not conform to human desires—he calls us to conform to God’s will. Even today, God is calling us to follow Jesus, to not be complacent in our salvation, but to go forth and proclaim his word. Regardless of how the world reacts, our mission remains. The true test of faith is not in the wonders we witness, but in the trust we place in God's word. Jesus calls us to live in faith even when we do not see immediate results. Will we accept his message, even when it challenges us? Will we trust in his words, even when we do not see miracles? May we be a people who not only hear Jesus' words but also live them out daily in trust and obedience.