5-Mar-18

Gospel LK 4:24-30
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:
"Jesus said to the people in the synagogue at Nazareth:
“Amen, I say to you,
no prophet is accepted in his own native place."
People often tend to dismiss the opinion of those they know best. The old saying, "familiarity breeds contempt" rings true in today's gospel. The people of Nazareth were not inclined to take seriously this young man who grew up playing with their children.
"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.”
National and community pride runs high among people; we all want to brag that our town, our state, our country is the best place. For thousands of years, the Jewish people had seen themselves as God's "chosen people."
In today's gospel Jesus, a Jew, infuriates his listeners by reminding them of stories in scripture where God helped "Gentiles" (non-Jews) before helping Jews who were also suffering.
Jesus was telling them that God loves all His children equally.
But, their minds were closed; they saw themselves as "God's favorite."
Another old saying comes to mind: "The truth hurts."
The reaction of those who were listening was immediate and violent.
"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."
The true value of scripture is the extent to which I use it to examine myself.
How do I react when a younger person with far less life experience offers me advice? How do I react when someone tells me something that I really don't want to hear?
Do I become resentful, or can I listen with an open mind and open heart?
"Let go of your attachment to being right, and suddenly your mind will be more open. You will be able to benefit from the unique viewpoint of others." Ralph Marston