God's grace in unexpected places

Luke 4 : 24 - 30

In general, people feel secure when they hang on to some special claim....especially when this claim sets them apart from others. In a sense, others are excluded from their special or privileged circle. This is what Jesus spoke against when he told his townspeople that God' s grace manifests in unexpected places. The prophets Elijah and Elisha had ministered to people of different communities, regardless of their social standing. One was a poor widow while the other was an army commander, a person of rank. There was compassion for the widow and healiing for Naaman. And the Jewish townspeople were furious to be reminded of that part of their history. It made them lose their exclusivity as people loved and chosen by God. They were not open enough to appreciate and celebrate God's grace demonstrated towards others beyond their particular boundaries. They would rather have been told it belonged exclusively to them. Isn't that true of us religious people? We would rather believe that we have exclusive rights to God's graces......it gives us a sense of security....yet our God is never to be limited in his dealings with our world.

Can we see God's presence and the outworking of his grace in many and varied situations? It is a challenge and I am eager to ask the Lord for the eyes of my heart to be opened. Looking around each day, in every place, in every situation, perhaps we can envisage how God's presence is manifest. There is no need to withdraw into our religious clubs in order to find God. He is there, sometimes obviously present; sometimes his presence is veiled, but at all times, God's grace comes upon his beloved creatures. Those of us who gradually learn to see evidences of God's grace in all things would then be able to share the light with others, paving the way for them to acknowledge him for themselves.