Luke 4:20-27: a reflection

20He closed the book, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of all in the synagogue were fastened on him. 21He began to tell them, “Today, this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” 22All testified about him and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth; and they said, “Isn’t this Joseph’s son?” 23He said to them, “Doubtless you will tell me this proverb, ‘Physician, heal yourself! Whatever we have heard done at Capernaum, do also here in your hometown.’” 24He said, “Most certainly I tell you, no prophet is acceptable in his hometown. 25But truly I tell you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the sky was shut up three years and six months, when a great famine came over all the land. 26Elijah was sent to none of them, except to Zarephath, in the land of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow. 27There were many lepers in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet, yet not one of them was cleansed, except Naaman, the Syrian.”

When his hometown takes offense at him, Jesus reminds them that God's grace has often reached beyond the expected boundaries, to outsiders, while those who presumed on their nearness were passed by. In the days of Elijah, Jesus says, there were many widows in Israel, yet Elijah was sent to none of them, but to a widow of Sidon; and there were many lepers in Israel in the time of Elisha, yet none was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian. Jesus points to two moments when God's grace reached beyond Israel to outsiders, a Sidonian widow, a Syrian leper, while many within Israel, who might have presumed on their nearness, received nothing. God's grace is not confined to the insiders who presume on it; it reaches beyond expected boundaries, to the outsider. This shows that God's grace reaches beyond expected boundaries, to the outsider. God's grace reaches beyond expected boundaries, even to the outsider. Do not presume on grace as an insider while despising it. Grace is God's to give, and he gives it freely, even beyond our expectations. Nearness is no claim on grace; God gives it as he wills.

Notice what Jesus says to his offended hometown. They had heard of his works elsewhere and expected him to do the same for them, presuming on their claim as his own townspeople; and when he did not simply meet their expectations, they took offense. Jesus responds by pointing to Scripture: in Elijah's day, God's grace, through the prophet, went not to the many widows of Israel but to a widow of Sidon, an outsider; and in Elisha's day, no leper in Israel was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian, another outsider. God's grace, in these moments, reached beyond the expected boundaries, to outsiders, while those within, who might have presumed on their nearness, received nothing. This holds a searching truth about grace. Grace is God's to give; it is not owed, not a claim we can make by our nearness, our belonging, our expectations. And God gives it freely, sometimes beyond the boundaries we would draw, to outsiders, to those we might not expect, while those who presume on their nearness and think grace owed to them may be passed by. This warns against presuming on grace as though it were our due because we are near or belong, and against taking offense when God gives grace beyond our expectations. Grace is free, given as God wills, even beyond the boundaries we would set. We do well not to presume on grace as an insider, but to receive it humbly, glad that it reaches beyond expected boundaries. Do not presume on grace as your due because you are near or belong. God's grace reaches freely beyond expected boundaries, even to outsiders. Receive grace humbly, not as owed, but as freely given. Do not take offense when God gives grace beyond your expectations.

That is worth taking to heart, for God's grace reaches beyond expected boundaries, even to outsiders, and we do well not to presume on it as insiders, as Jesus reminded his offended hometown. We can presume on grace as our due because we are near or belong; but Jesus pointed to God's grace reaching a Sidonian widow and a Syrian leper while insiders received nothing. Grace is free. Do not presume on grace as owed to you, nor take offense when God gives it beyond your expectations; receive it humbly, glad it reaches even the outsider. Do not presume on grace as your due because you are near or belong, nor take offense when God gives it beyond your expectations, but receive it humbly as freely given, as when his hometown took offense at him Jesus reminded them that God's grace had often reached beyond expected boundaries to outsiders while those who presumed on their nearness were passed by, pointing out that in Elijah's day God's grace went to a widow of Sidon rather than the many widows of Israel, and in Elisha's day none was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian; for Jesus points to two moments when God's grace reached beyond Israel to outsiders while many within, who might have presumed on their nearness, received nothing, so that God's grace is not confined to the insiders who presume on it but reaches beyond expected boundaries to the outsider, which holds a searching truth about grace, that grace is God's to give and is not owed or a claim we can make by our nearness or belonging, and God gives it freely and sometimes beyond the boundaries we would draw, to those we might not expect, while those who presume on their nearness may be passed by, which warns against presuming on grace as our due and taking offense when God gives it beyond our expectations, so that we do well not to presume on grace as insiders but to receive it humbly, glad that it reaches beyond expected boundaries.

Lord Jesus, when your hometown takes offense at you, you remind them that God's grace has often reached beyond the expected boundaries, to outsiders, while those who presumed on their nearness were passed by. In the days of Elijah, you say, there were many widows in Israel, yet Elijah was sent to none of them, but to a widow of Sidon; and there were many lepers in Israel in the time of Elisha, yet none was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian. You point to two moments when God's grace reached beyond Israel to outsiders, a Sidonian widow, a Syrian leper, while many within Israel, who might have presumed on their nearness, received nothing. God's grace is not confined to the insiders who presume on it; it reaches beyond expected boundaries. Show me what you say to your offended hometown. They had heard of your works elsewhere and expected you to do the same for them, presuming on their claim as your own townspeople; and when you did not simply meet their expectations, they took offense. You respond by pointing to Scripture: God's grace went to a widow of Sidon, an outsider, and to Naaman the Syrian, while those within Israel, who might have presumed on their nearness, received nothing. This holds a searching truth about grace. Grace is yours to give; it is not owed, not a claim I can make by my nearness, my belonging, my expectations. And you give it freely, sometimes beyond the boundaries we would draw, to those we might not expect, while those who presume on their nearness may be passed by. This warns me against presuming on grace as though it were my due, and against taking offense when you give grace beyond my expectations. Take that to my heart. Keep me from presuming on grace as owed to me because I am near or belong, and from taking offense when you give it beyond my expectations; help me receive grace humbly, Lord, not as my due but as freely given, glad that it reaches even the outsider, for grace is yours to give as you will.