Gospel
Lk 4:21-30
Jesus began speaking in the synagogue, saying: “Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.” And all spoke highly of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth. 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 native place. Indeed, I tell you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah
when the sky was closed for three and a half years and a severe famine spread over the entire land. It was to none of these that Elijah was sent, but only to a widow in Zarephath in the land of Sidon. Again, there were many lepers in Israel during the time of Elisha the prophet; yet not one of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian.” When the people in the synagogue heard this, they were all filled with fury.
They rose up, drove him out of the town, and led him to the brow of the hill on which their town had been built, to hurl him down headlong. But Jesus passed through the midst of them and went away.
Homily
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Many years ago, it was just after Vatican II, a group of local seminarians, all of African or East Indian origin was walking down the main business thoroughfare of Port of Spain. It was the time when priests and seminarians still used their habits. It was also the time when in Trinidad and Tobago most of the priests were missionaries from Europe and the few local priests were almost all from the white upper class. A woman selling her wares at the side of the road looked at them and at the top of her voice shouted to them; “Why all yuh so; leave the white people business nah. Who you think you is?” To her these seminarians did not know their place, they were becoming uppity.
The Gospel reading given to us for our meditation this weekend deals with the same problem. Jesus is the son of a carpenter. He is not a Pharisee; he is not a Sadducee; he is not a scribe. He is not supposed to have the wisdom which he was displaying. So they ask; “Isn’t this the son of Joseph?” They probably added. He isn’t supposed to be doing this!
Jesus knows their thoughts and decides to show them that their way of thinking was not God’s way. Jesus shows them God’s blessing go to all kinds of people, poor and rich, Jew or gentile. The people of course saw themselves as more deserving than all others as having a divine right to God’s favour, which others did not have and so Jesus’ words cut them to the quick. Why should others have blessings which they did not have? (Remember that at this time they were under roman domination.) They are filled with fury and seek to kill him. His time has not yet come however. He gets away from them unharmed.
The problem the people of Nazareth have is the problem which so many people especially those belonging to small countries have. How often we try to bring those whom we perceive to have done better than ourselves, down to our level. We have to cut them down to size, our size of course or a little lower. Jesus must have been troubled by the attitude of his people. He is brought to the brink. However he must have caught himself. We are shown in very descriptive language that after he was brought to the edge of the precipice that he calmly went on his way doing what he had set out to do. “He passed through the midst of them and went away.” Jesus was convinced about his vocation. He knew what he was doing was right and nothing others could say or do what distract him from his mission.
This too was and is the attitude of the saints. They did not and do not bow to public pressure. Who can deny the heroic stance of Pope Paul VI in the encyclical Humanae Vitae? Who can deny the heroism of Mons. Oscar Romero in El Salvador when in the face of threats to his life he continued to proclaim the gospel imperative of justice for the poor? Who can deny the perseverance of Mother Teresa of Calcutta in her struggle for those wasting away and dying on the streets of Calcutta? The imitation of Jesus in these lives is very clear!
As we thank God for those persons who in the face of opposition and threats because of prejudice, we ask God for the graces necessary to imitate them conscious that it is only in fidelity to the call and perseverance in its execution that we will make a difference for the better in this world in which we live.
Prayer
All mighty and ever-loving Go, today you remind us that in your sight all peoples are worthy of your blessings and that it is the quality of our minds and hearts which is important in your sight. Do not let us fall into the trap of seeking a superiority based on the superficiality of externals, like colour and ethnicity and class. Help us rather to seek your blessings through the integrity of our lives. We ask this through the intercession of Mary our Mother and your Son Jesus. Amen
