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Prejudices Block the Flow of Grace
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We think we know – that is the problem. We think we see – that is the problem.
Jesus saw that as the problem,
If you were blind, you would not have sin. But now that you say, We see , your sin remains. (John 9:41)
We think we see – that makes us blind. We think we know – that makes us ignorant.
The moment you think you know, your knowledge stops. Why?
Because your limited knowledge stops the process of attaining the fuller understanding.
You think you already know. Why would you explore further?
That was what the people in Nazareth did. Jesus came back to his home town.
You see. Jesus was born in Nazareth but he did a lot of his ministry in Capernaum, which was about 50 Km away from Nazareth.
It was the hometown of Matthew, Simon Peter, and his brother, Andrew, John, and James, sons of Zebedee.
Now he came back home and preached in a synagogue. People of Nazareth heard him and they were amazed.
I think they were shocked by his wisdom and the way he taught.
He had authority in his teaching. Not just in his tone but Jesus knew what he was talking about.
That was the same response he got when he taught in Capernaum.
They went to Capernaum; and when the sabbath came, he entered the synagogue and taught. They were astounded at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes. (Mark 1:21, 22)
That was the kind of response he got in Nazareth too.
They responded in this way.
Where did this man get all this? What is this wisdom that has been given to him? What deeds of power are being done by his hands! (Mark 6:2)
They were shocked and were very impressed. But the reaction was different in Nazareth.
Jesus became famous in Capernaum but not in Nazareth. This was what happened in Nazareth.
Immediately after they spoke about their amazement, they said this.
Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon, and are not his sisters here with us?' And they took offence at him. (Mark 6:3)
They took offence at him. Their prejudice was kicked in and controlled their thinking.
They thought they knew Jesus.
Did they really know him? Was their knowledge of Jesus correct or complete?
Would they have known that this Jesus they thought they knew would be a person the whole world, not just Galileans, will know for next 2,000 years?
Would they have known that this Jesus they thought they knew would influence billions of people in the world and shape the way they think about life?
The moment they thought they knew Jesus, their knowledge about Jesus stopped. Because it stayed at their limited understanding.
From that point on, their prejudice controlled and guided their thinking. Not true knowledge of Jesus.
They stopped learning and understanding who Jesus was. They were entrapped in their own prejudice.
Their understanding of Jesus was so limited and so wrong and yet they held unto it as though it was the truth.
They even took offence at Jesus.
So Jesus could not do many miracles in his hometown. That's sad. Their prejudice hindered the power of God being released.
This was how Mark described the situation,
And he could do no deed of power there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and cured them. (Mark 6:5)
It was not that Jesus did not have the power.
It was because their prejudice blinded them and entrapped them, and so, the power of God could not work in them.
Their knowledge stopped. Their understanding stopped. Their faith stopped.
That is not how faith works.
Faith is not memorizing doctrines you already know and regurgitate it constantly. Faith is not about strongly holding unto whatever is acceptable, comfortable to you, and verifiable.
That was the kind of faith Paul had before he met Christ. His faith was about holding unto the law and keeping the law, and protecting the law.
Through his faith, he even tried to protect God. That's why he arrested and killed Christians. Because he believed that they were destroying God.
Christians were not destroying God. They destroyed Paul's prejudice. That was what he was scared.
Paul was not protecting God. He was protecting his own prejudice.
He didn't realize that faith was not about holding unto right statements, right doctrines, and right theories but it was about the power that releases God's grace. He didn't realize that.
Only after meeting Christ, he saw that.
Only after his prejudices were shattered, he was able to see what he could not see before.
Only after something like a scale fell off from his eyes, he could see what he was supposed to see.
His experience on the road to Damascus was nothing but his prejudice being demolished.
After the Damascus experience, Paul realized that faith has the power to defeat the power of darkness.
It has the power to forgive sins. It has the power to heal the broken hearted. It has the power to raise the dead.
When you have faith, your understanding does not stop. Your understanding gets deeper and deeper. Never stops.
Your understanding goes beyond yourself. Your understanding does not get stuck in your own knowledge.
More than anything else, faith releases God's grace. Through God's grace, the way you see yourself changes.
Once St. Paul had this supernatural experience. He called it going to the third heaven.
It was not the experience he could articulate with his knowledge. All he could say was I don't know.
This was what he said.
I know a person in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven whether in the body or out of the body I do not know; God knows. And I know that such a person whether in the body or out of the body I do not know; God knows (2 Corinthians 12:2, 3)
But immediately after that experience, he received this thorn which tormented him. This thorn made him weak. Miserable.
So he prayed that this thorn be removed. He wanted to be strong.
Who doesn't want to be strong? But this thorn made him weak.
But God did not remove his thorns. He did not become strong.
This was what God gave.
My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness. (2 Corinthians 12:9)
Instead of removing thorns, he released God's grace.
Instead of making him strong, God let him experience God's strength through his weakness.
So St. Paul confessed,
Therefore I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities for the sake of Christ; for whenever I am weak, then I am strong. (2 Corinthians 12:10)
That is the power of grace. Through faith, grace is released to you, and through the power of grace, even your weaknesses become your strength.
Your prejudice not only stops your knowledge but it also blocks you from having faith.
That's why people of Nazareth, even though they were amazed at Jesus' teaching, could not have faith.
Jesus' teaching could not bring about the power of God in them. They were rather offended.
Jesus was amazed at the power of prejudice too.
This was what Jesus said.
And he was amazed at their unbelief. (Mark 6:6)
My friends, if you are filled with prejudices, you will never grow. You will never have faith. You will never have understanding.
You will never experience the power of God in your life.
Christian journey is not about covering yourself with layers of prejudices but about uncovering one layer after another.
And you will be filled with God's wonders.
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