Luk 4:22 | KingComments | STEP | All speak well of Him, all speak about Him, He is the subject of their conversation. What they have heard is so completely different from what they always hear. They are familiar with the voice of the law. Now they hear something that has never been spoken in such a way before. They hear Someone speaking words of grace. That they acknowledge, they taste something of the riches of grace. Yet in Him they see no more than an ordinary person. They know Him as the Son of Joseph. How is it possible that this simple Man they saw growing up could speak such words? Unfortunately, they are blind to the fact that He is God in the fullness of His Person. Only faith sees here the dependent Man Who is full of the Holy Spirit and acts and speaks in the power of the Spirit and abounds with grace for people. In order to possess that faith, it is necessary to first see oneself as one who is poor in spirit who needs the gospel and then to appeal to it as one who is blind and captivated and oppressed. This is how the people of Nazareth do not see themselves, and so they are wondering about these words of grace. It is not the wondering of a believer, but the wondering that comes from unbelief, in the sense that it cannot be possible for such a Person to speak such words. They stumble over Him because He is only a mere carpenter’s son to them. The words of grace are wasted on them. Israel is totally unprepared for grace. They are God’s chosen people, aren’t they? But Luke puts everything and everyone on the basis of grace. Only through grace blessing is possible, both for God’s people and for the Gentiles. The Lord knows that they are impressed by the words of grace He has spoken, but that their hearts and consciences are not convinced. The cause is that they are looking for wonders. They have heard of things He did in Capernaum. They want Him to do such things with them as well. They want to see signs and wonders. He knows their hearts and knows what they will say to Him. He knows that they will challenge Him to stand up for himself (cf. ; ). They want Him to prove Himself by doing wonders and signs. Wonders and signs, however, are never a goal in themselves, but are always a side issue. They support and guide the preaching to confirm it as a word that truly comes from God. He comes to bring the Word of God, and they will not accept it from Him Whom they think they know so well. The Lord thus shares in the common fate that all prophets have undergone. In the places where they should be best known, they are the least valued. In the rejection of all previous prophets He is already rejected. Now He Himself comes to His people and in His creation, but He is not known nor accepted. He came to preach the Lord’s “favorable” year, but He is not “favored” (the same word) in His father town. If He is not “favored”, there can be no “favorable year” from the Lord.

‏ Luke 4:22

Words of Grace Not Accepted

All speak well of Him, all speak about Him, He is the subject of their conversation. What they have heard is so completely different from what they always hear. They are familiar with the voice of the law. Now they hear something that has never been spoken in such a way before. They hear Someone speaking words of grace. That they acknowledge, they taste something of the riches of grace. Yet in Him they see no more than an ordinary person. They know Him as the Son of Joseph. How is it possible that this simple Man they saw growing up could speak such words?

Unfortunately, they are blind to the fact that He is God in the fullness of His Person. Only faith sees here the dependent Man Who is full of the Holy Spirit and acts and speaks in the power of the Spirit and abounds with grace for people. In order to possess that faith, it is necessary to first see oneself as one who is poor in spirit who needs the gospel and then to appeal to it as one who is blind and captivated and oppressed.

This is how the people of Nazareth do not see themselves, and so they are wondering about these words of grace. It is not the wondering of a believer, but the wondering that comes from unbelief, in the sense that it cannot be possible for such a Person to speak such words. They stumble over Him because He is only a mere carpenter’s son to them. The words of grace are wasted on them. Israel is totally unprepared for grace. They are God’s chosen people, aren’t they? But Luke puts everything and everyone on the basis of grace. Only through grace blessing is possible, both for God’s people and for the Gentiles.

The Lord knows that they are impressed by the words of grace He has spoken, but that their hearts and consciences are not convinced. The cause is that they are looking for wonders. They have heard of things He did in Capernaum. They want Him to do such things with them as well. They want to see signs and wonders. He knows their hearts and knows what they will say to Him. He knows that they will challenge Him to stand up for himself (cf. Lk 23:39; Mt 27:40). They want Him to prove Himself by doing wonders and signs.

Wonders and signs, however, are never a goal in themselves, but are always a side issue. They support and guide the preaching to confirm it as a word that truly comes from God. He comes to bring the Word of God, and they will not accept it from Him Whom they think they know so well. The Lord thus shares in the common fate that all prophets have undergone. In the places where they should be best known, they are the least valued. In the rejection of all previous prophets He is already rejected. Now He Himself comes to His people and in His creation, but He is not known nor accepted. He came to preach the Lord’s “favorable” year, but He is not “favored” (the same word) in His father town. If He is not “favored”, there can be no “favorable year” from the Lord.