In Luke 4:17-19, Jesus stands in the synagogue and reads from Isaiah 61:1-2. Why do you think that he chose that passage? What is the significance of it? What is the significance of His comment on it, in Luke 4:21?

 

How do those in attendance respond to Jesus in Luke 4:22? Why do you think their response and attitude changes between Luke 4:22 and Luke 4:28?

 

What is Jesus trying to communicate in Luke 4:25-27, with his references to Elijah and the widow at Zarephath (1 Kings 17), and Elisha and Naaman the Syrian (2 Kings 5)?

 

The gospel of grace often involves:

  • favor being extended to other people, that we see as less deserving,
  • the implication that we are not as deserving as we thought we were.

Why are these so difficult for the human heart to acknowledge, and embrace? Why do they stir up such a visceral reaction in our souls?

 

How does Jesus’s teaching confront our self-righteousness, and entitlement?

 

In contrast with what we see in Luke 4:28-30, what would a healthy, godly response to Jesus’s teaching look like?  What does it look like for us, as Christians today, to respond to the message of this text in a healthy and godly way?

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