Gospel
Lk 4:24-30 (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/luke/4?24)
Jesus said to the people in the synagogue at Nazareth:
“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 he passed through the midst of them and went away.
Reflection
Upon reflecting on the Gospel passage I was confronted by a profound truth about human nature. That we are creatures of comfort and that we do not like being questioned in our ways.
We see so often in reading the Bible, and Jesus even emphasizes how, prophets are often not accepted in their own communities. This statement sets the stage for what follows in the reading, where Jesus is teaching and uses examples from Israel's history. He mentions the widow in Zarephath and Naaman the Syrian, both of whom received blessings despite not being part of the chosen people of Israel. This obviously was not received well by the people as they did not understand the deeper meaning and only the surface level. I think this message challenged the exclusivity of God's blessings and highlighted the universality of His love and grace. Jesus was showing how God's blessings aren't just for certain people or groups. God's love and grace are for everyone, not just a select few. They did not like this idea that God’s love and grace could be given to everyone and not just their community, I think maybe in their eyes it made them feel less special. Their pride wouldn’t allow them to understand the merciful and transcendent power of God. Instead of opening their minds and embracing this broader understanding, the people in the synagogue reacted with fury. Their reaction reminded me of so many today, and I think serves as a stark reminder of how we, too, can respond similarly when confronted with teachings that challenge our preconceived notions or comfort zones.
In our own lives, how do we react to Jesus' teachings or the Bible when they challenge us? Do we allow our emotions to dictate our response? Anger, fear, and hurt are common reactions when our beliefs are questioned or when we encounter uncomfortable truths. It is all too easy to lash out as these emotions can blind us to the deeper messages and prevent us from growing in our faith.
During this Lent let us not allow our actions to be dictated by our emotions. Let us instead humble ourselves and face our feelings head on surrendering them to our almighty God giving Him all of our thoughts, expectations, pre-conceived notions, and sufferings in faith.
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