Wednesday after the Transfiguration of our Lord
Posted on January 27, 2021 by under
Scripture: St. Luke 4:22-30 (NKJV)
4:22 So all bore witness to Him, and marveled at the gracious words which proceeded out of His mouth. And they said, “Is this not Joseph’s son?”
23 He said to them, “You will surely say this proverb to Me, ‘Physician, heal yourself! Whatever we have heard done in Capernaum, do also here in Your country.’” 24 Then He said, “Assuredly, I say to you, no prophet is accepted in his own country. 25 But I tell you truly, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, and there was a great famine throughout all the land; 26 but to none of them was Elijah sent except to Zarephath, in the region of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow. 27 And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet, and none of them was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian.”
28 So all those in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath, 29 and rose up and thrust Him out of the city; and they led Him to the brow of the hill on which their city was built, that they might throw Him down over the cliff. 30 Then passing through the midst of them, He went His way.
Devotion
God shows His glory according to His will, not ours. In His own country the people wanted Him to show some glory to support the claims He made according to the Scriptures. But His preaching should have been sufficient for them! He brought gracious Words to them and assured them that the Gospel of God’s mercy was being fulfilled in their midst. But the people trusted their own knowledge more than hearing Him according to the Spirit of faith. And it is no surprise that they were driven to such faithless anger by His true Words that they were willing to drive Him out and kill Him. Luke’s Gospel tells us about numerous instances of demonic influence among the people at that time.
When our Savior shows us miracles and wonders that reveal profound glimpses of His glory, those are special occasions that teach important lessons. But more often His glory is revealed in the steady, patient work of His Word and Sacraments. He spent more time preaching and teaching the masses than He did in moments of high glory like the Transfiguration. We are to remember that the highest wonders and the humble works are all part of the message of His Gospel. All of it points to the cross of Christ and the forgiveness that we have in the name of Jesus!
Prayer: O God, who in the glorious transfiguration of Thy Only-Begotten Son hast confirmed the mysteries of the faith by the testimony of the fathers, and who, in the Voice that came from the bright cloud, didst in a wonderful manner foreshow the adoption of sons, mercifully vouchsafe to make us coheirs with the King of His glory and bring us to the enjoyment of the same; through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord. Amen.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
