1. People turned down the Good News

Last Sunday, we listened to co-pastor Mizuguchi’s lecture on the opening passage of Luke 4, which describes how people of Nazareth rejected Jesus.

Let us look back the introduction of the episode before continuing the reflection on the issue. Jesus had commenced the ministry in Galilee. His words and acts impressed strongly Jewish people of all around the region. Then ; - Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread through the whole countryside.(Luke 4:14)

When Jesus came back to his homeland Nazareth, the crowd gathered in the Synagogue there on the Sabbath day to listen to his lecture. To the audience Jesus read aloud Isaiah 61 which should reveal Jesus’ own identity and mission given by God. ; - “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor."(Isaiah 61:18-19)

Luke also reported ; - Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him, (Luke 4:20)

The verse above shows that the crowd’s attention was keenly focused on Jesus. They might think that he would perform extraordinary acts there, much more than in other countries. Because Nazareth was his hometown. So much so Jesus’ phrase “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing (Luke 4:21)” disappointed them and they began to murmur ; - “Isn’t this Joseph’s son?” (Luke 4:22)

They thought that Joseph was one of ordinary neighbors, a mere country carpenter. He had no splendid qualification nor hight social status. A son of that humble man must not give such great words, they thought. We see there that what they expected from Jesus was miraculous effects, for example, changing stones into loaves of bread or healing incurable sickness. They refused to recognize importance of Jesus’ words.

Even today, majority of persons accept religious teachings by expecting earthy advantages in return. They pray gods for their or children’s health, harmonious family life, or successes in business. And if their wishes are not fulfilled they won’t worship those gods any more. That tendency is not new, as Malachi 3:14 reveals ; - ” You have said, ‘It is futile to serve God. What did we gain by carrying out his requirements and going about like mourners before the LORD Almighty?

Since long-long time ago humans complain that way till today. Even christians, many believers might leave the church when they understand that it will not guarantee them earthy bread or physical cure. People of Nazareth also expected the same things from Jesus, instead of God’s words. Therefore they were disappointed by Jesus’ message and murmured “Isn’t this Joseph’s son?”

And, hearing their voice, Jesus said ; - “I tell you the truth,” he continued, “no prophet is accepted in his hometown. (Luke 4:24)

2. Seek to receive

Jesus reminded those blinded people of two stories of prophets, one of Elijah and another of Elisha who were raised by God about 900 years before Jesus’ birth. In the time of Elijah Israelites were committing idolatry by forgetting God, the creature. So God chose Elijah to make them to repent but they rejected prophet’s words. In consequence of that Elijah must predict drought and severe famine for three years as God’s punishment. Nonetheless Jewish people accused and cursed Elijah for his prophecy instead of repenting. Being menaced by those people, Elijah escaped to Zarephath of Sidon and he met there a widow who would support Elijah’s life. (see 1 Kings 17:1-24)

Jesus recalled the crowd that the widow alone was saved and blessed by God whereas unfaithful people were condemned to starve. (see Luke 4:25-26)

Then he told the story about Naaman, a Syrian general who was healed of leprosy by the prophet Elisha. Jesus also recalled them that only Naaman, regardless of being Syrian, was cleansed among leprous persons in Israel. (see 2 Kings 5:1-9, Luke 4:27)

In ancient era numerous people were suffering from leprosy. Facing that severe reality, Jesus said to the crowd that a single gentile was healed because he sought faith in God. Those two references upset the Jewish audience because they were sure of being saved, without condition, as the chosen people. They thought that God would save Israelites and destroy gentiles on the last day of the world. But, by denying such a traditional Jewish believing, Jesus declared that the salvation depended only on God. God accords mercy to those who seek God enthusiastically, regardless of being Jewish or gentile. In other words, without real faith even Jewish people should not be saved.

Jesus’ sincere words offended them strongly. Therefore ; - All the people in the synagogue were furious when they heard this. They got up, drove him out of the town, and took him to the brow of the hill on which the town was built, in order to throw him down the cliff. But he walked right through the crowd and went on his way. (luke 4:28-30)

They must find Jesus unacceptably arrogant. They thought that he, a son of mere carpenter Joseph, pretended to be equal to Elijah and Elisha.

Jesus made the crowd mad because he pointed out the truth that nobody can be saved without seeking God, even Jewish people. Thus Jesus destroyed their illusion of being elites.

God’s promise is a covenant or a contract. Therefore those who do not resect it cannot take its return. It is truth that only the faith accords us the salvation. Without faith, no salvation.

However, simple belief in God is not real faith. Real faith should generate acts. Our lifestyle must be in accordance with God'’ will. As long as we look for earthy bread or physical cure through faith our life remains vain. Therefore Jesus compels us to seek ‘bread of life,’ or ‘ God’s words’ in order to live authentically. Real food disappears after consumption. Human body, even healed from certain diseases, cannot be immortal. So much so we must look for what is eternal.

Emancipation from Roman rule does not guarantee eternal freedom because there should be other dominant powers. For that reason, Jesus taught them to aspire to the kingdom of God, which is eternal.
Nonetheless they closed their spiritual ears and required tangible proof to recognize Jesus’ real identity. It is clear that in such an attitude it is impossible for them to expect the salvation .

3.Faith of the unfaithful

We chose Mark 9:23-24 for today’s invocation verses ; - ” ‘If you can’?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for him who believes.” Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”

The former part of today’s invocation verses is Jesus response to a father who asked Jesus to cure his son and the rest is his reaction. His son was suffering from symptoms of epilepsy. Before Jesus the boy fell to the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth. Those disorders were considered by Jewish people of the time to be effects caused by evil spirits. (see Mark 2:20)

At first Jesus wanted to know how long time he was affected by the desease. The father said ; - “From childhood,” he answered. “It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us."(Mark 2:22)

Jesus appreciated the father’s answer and healed the boy because when the father cried his faith became authentic.

A Japanese dictum says, ‘ a head of sardine can be an object of worship.’ But real faith is not so blind. To believe is to recognize our unfaithful existence and keep praying God for the authentic faith. When that pray was heard by God the unfaithful become the faithful. That is the very miracle. Miracle is not exactly supernatural medical healing of incurable sicknesses, nor magical effect of turning stones into loaves of bread. Miracle is the phenomenom which change us, who are unable to believe authentically in God, into a new and eternal existence, the faithful. It can happen only through our recognition of being unfaithful.

Akaboshi Susumu, Japanese protestant and doctor in psychology, treated numerous Christian patients. And he reflected on the issue of ‘ faith ‘ through those experiences then gave the following conclusion in “Mental sickness and the God News"*:

– We can distinguished christian faith in two types, ; faith considered to be obtained through human efforts, or t be given by God’s mercy. The former type of believers worship God in order to express their entity by relying on christianity. They read sincerely the Bible and attend to Sunday services or other church activities as often as possible. They always make efforts to behave in decent way. And they thought that they have ‘ right ‘ to be saved in exchange of respectable living style. In short, they worship God to get salvation as the reward. Inhabitant of Nazareth might be like them. They expected that Jesus would promise them better living conditions and independence from Rome, the oppressive ruler. And they could not found any significance in Jesus’ words. Thus they were disappointed strongly.

Very often we start the path to faith , as the first stage, by trying to obtain it through human efforts. We enter the church gate to be healed physically or psychologically. We read the Bible and receive baptism. But if we always remain in that stage incentive for belief should wane. Because ‘ faith as human act ‘ cannot persist if we cannot get tangible results as reword of worship.

In contrast, the other type of belief is to surrender and trust ourselves completely to God, like a new born baby. A baby is totally powerless and trust own entity to mother’s care, without fear. The faith taught by Jesus indicate such a way of life by relying totally on mercy of God.

Jesus said ; - And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it. For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them. (Luke 12:29-30)

It means that God in heaven will give us whatever we need. For that reason Jesus compels us also to be free from secular concerns and concentrate on only quest of the kingdom of God ; - But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well. (Luke 12:310)

Martin Luther said in his work ‘ Commentary on Romans’* that the faith is not human illusion or dream. It is God’s work realized in us to make us newly born.

We are similar to people in Nazareth who could not accept Jesus words. Many christians were disappointed by relationship with pastors or other believers to leave the church. Those persons sought faith trough human efforts, not by trusting completely in God’s mercy. Those who rejected Jesus in the Synagogue of Nazareth were seeing a son of Joseph in Jesus, instead of the Son of God. We cannot receive a new life to become authentic christian through baptism with water. To be reborn we need baptizement with the Holy Spirit and die on the cross with Jesus. We must recognize to be unfaithful because our present faith is not based on total trust in God. We are always making human efforts to arrive the faith. But yet, when we arrive to say , “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief ” the path to the real faith opens before us. Then we should hear the voice similar to , “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham.(Luke 19:9)

Our daily life is filled with earthy problems. If we are too much concerned about them, our faith might decay. In contrast, if we consider any difficulties to be expression of God’s will we can arrive to understand and accept those words of Jesus ; - “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness."(2 corinthians 12:9)

As long as we read the Gospels in a stance of third person, God’s words goes aside. We can receive the power of the Gospels, which make us a new human, only by reading those words as direct messages sent to us . We need Jesus to open our blinded eyes to see the truth. And Jesus promised that he will do 2000 years ago in the synagogue of Nazareth. He is keeping the promise even today. Therefore we need to continue coming to church, the most priveledged place to hear Jesus’ merciful voice.
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* ISBN-10: 4842800003 / ISBN-13: 978-4842800004
* Commentary on Romans - http://www.ewordtoday.com/comments/romans/mhc/romans1.htm
also Introduction - http://www.ewordtoday.com/comments//romans/luther/romansintro.htm