In Luke 4:34-27 we find that Christ has traveled to his hometown and is now in the synagogue. It was customary in synagogues to ask visiting rabbis to read the Scripture lesson and make comments regarding the passage. At this point, Jesus had been ministering for about a year. He was handed the book of Isaiah and read from chapter 61. He proclaims that Scripture has been fulfilled in Luke 4:21. However, they failed to recognized that Jesus was the Messiah. It is at this point that Jesus uses two examples in the Old Testament to show God's grace on the Gentiles. These two examples are the Widow of Zarephath (1 Kings 17) and Naaman (2 Kings 5:1-15). These examples were given to show that God would show grace to the Gentile people. All in the synagogue were angered at Christ's words. They even sought to kill Him!
How do you view God's grace as it relates to terrorists, homosexuals, sex offenders, murderers and the like? How do you react when someone visits your church and is homeless, rough looking or just doesn't fit in? Do you see them as individuals who need God's grace and compassion or do you stay as far away from them as possible? Do you pray for those who need this grace in your family and town? Sometimes our attitudes are not much different than those in the synagogue that day that Christ spoke. We really do not think that the wicked deserve such grace...well, neither did we. Ephesians 2:8-9
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