Jesus is rejected by people who are not really prepared to hear the word of God
Reflections on the readings for the Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time (January 30, 2022): JER 1:4-5,17-19; PS 71:1-2,3-4,5-6,15-17; 1 COR 12:31--13:13; LK 4:21-30
MISSIO offers “Preaching Mission,” as a homily help, providing connections to mission from the readings of Sundays, Feast Days and Holy Days.
Christ wants those listening to know that Divine mercy has no barriers.
Last Sunday, we heard Jesus read from the Scriptures while at a synagogue, but not just any synagogue. It was in Nazareth where He grew up. At first the people seem pleased. But then they realize what He is saying -- that He has been sent to them by God and to fulfill the prophecies. And when that sinks in, their reaction quickly changes. “They also asked, ‘Isn’t this the Son of Joseph?’ He said to them, ‘Surely you will quote Me this proverb, ‘Physician, cure yourself.’ And say, ‘Do here in Your native place the things that we heard were done in Capernaum.’ And He said, ‘Amen, I say to you, no prophet is accepted in his own place. … When the people in the synagogue heard this, they were all filled with fury” (Luke 4:23-24,28). How disappointed Jesus must have been when the very people He had known most of His life question and resent Him. They are enraged that Jesus, whom they knew only as the Son of Joseph the carpenter who had died and his wife Mary, is daring to make incredible claims. Up until this time, Jesus had done nothing to stand out in His community. His parents were devout, good people, but they were also poor and insignificant. The townspeople may have heard of rumors about Jesus starting to preach and even perform miracles elsewhere. But His neighbors simply could not see pass their preconceived ideas in order to accept something truly new.
More than that, our Lord dares to remind the people of Nazareth about two prophets who gave miraculous assistance to Gentiles. In serving God and obeying His will, Elijah and Elisha reached beyond their own Jewish people. Christ wants those listening to know that Divine mercy has no barriers. If they will not accept Him as the anointed one of God, others will. The anger Jesus’ former neighbors feel overwhelms them. They not only drive Him out of town, they try to throw Him off a hill to His death. But this is not the time. The Son of God and Son of Mary simply walks away from them. In time, some may come to believe. For the present, He needs to move on.
