I AM the law

Yeshua’s reference to Elijah and Naaman in Luke 4:25-27 was a powerful rebuke to those who assumed that salvation was exclusively for the Jews.

Key Takeaways from Yeshua’s Teaching
1. Salvation is for All Who Seek Yehovah
• Naaman was a Gentile, a Syrian commander, and a leper—an outsider in every sense. Yet, he humbled himself and obeyed the word of the prophet Elijah, and Yehovah healed him (2 Kings 5).
• Yeshua was making it clear: Healing, grace, and salvation are not inherited by birthright—they are given to those who come to God in humility and faith.
2. The Jews Assumed Their Spiritual Privilege
• The people of Nazareth were offended when Yeshua implied that outsiders could receive God’s blessings while they remained blind in their pride.
• Just like the Jews in Elijah’s time, they were unwilling to recognize their need for repentance.
3. Humility is the Path to God’s Favor
• Both Naaman and the widow of Zarephath (1 Kings 17:8-16) had no claim to Yehovah’s promises but received blessings because they humbled themselves.
• The Jewish leaders, in contrast, rejected Yeshua because they refused to acknowledge their spiritual poverty (Luke 18:9-14).
4. Yeshua Came for the Lost—Jew and Gentile Alike
• This was a foreshadowing of the Gospel being extended to all nations (Acts 10:34-35).
• Paul later confirms: “There is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord is Lord of all.” (Romans 10:12).

The Challenge for Us Today

Like the Jews in Yeshua’s time, we must never take God’s grace for granted or assume that we deserve it more than others. Instead, we should come before Yehovah in humility, recognizing that we are just as much in need of His mercy as anyone else.