Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time (C)

February 3, 2019

Readings:

First Reading: Jeremiah 1: 4-5, 17-119

Psalm: 71

Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 12: 31-13: 13 (or 13: 1-13)

Gospel reading according to Luke 4: 21-30

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Homily:

Jesus was in the synagogue in Nazareth at Galilee.  He was invited to read from the scroll and so it happened he opened the Book of the Prophet Isaiah and after reading and returning the scroll to the attendant of the synagogue, he sat down, as what teachers usually do, and taught his countrymen with the passage he read and they heard.  “Jesus began speaking in the synagogue, saying: ‘Today this scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing’.” (Lk. 4: 21). He said that what they have heard written long, long time ago, as predicted by the prophet Isaiah, for “the Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor.  He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, and to proclaim a year of acceptance to the Lord” (Is. 61: 1-2), is now fulfilled in their hearing. As if Jesus was saying, what they have heard is now completed through what he was doing, because they heard what Jesus did in Capernaum.  He performed there many miracles – he brought glad tidings to the poor, proclaimed liberty to captives, recovery of sight to the blind, the oppressed went free, and he proclaimed a year of acceptance to the Lord.  A Jubilee Year indeed!  Truly these were the signs of reigning of God to men/women here on earth, His presence is felt and seen and heard.  

His words which were strong and profound, true and correct, and guaranteed by his works, especially with miracles, made the people of Nazareth amazed and filled of admiration.  “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?’” (Lk. 4: 22).  He read the passage and spoke with clear voice, in good and upright manner, with honor and respect to what he was reading, and dignified speech.  He was reading as if it was applied to him, so also, he spoke or preached what he performed and according to what he did; he also applied to himself what the scripture said.  Jesus is also inviting us to read the bible or scripture with love, respect and with dignity, and apply to ourselves whatever message it conveys to us to do.   But, the people in Nazareth saw also the human aspects of Jesus – that he was son of Joseph who was a carpenter and Mary; they were poor ones, even his relatives; without higher education.  What they meant is that Jesus was nothing; he is an ordinary man like the rest of the people of Nazareth, as what Nathaniel said to Philip “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?”(John 1: 46). They were only good for nothing except gossiping. 

Since he came from Nazareth, Jesus knew their thoughts and mentality. “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’.” (Lk. 4: 23).  To prove what he said regarding the Book of the prophet Isaiah and what he did in Capernaum, his countrymen were asking him to do and perform the same miracles he did and performed in Capernaum. They wanted that their own physician/doctor cures first his own people.  “Physician, cure yourself.”  Cure your own.  They have the tendency “to see is to believe,” and “action speaks louder than words,” as the sayings go.  They have to see evidences that what they heard is true.  They want to see proof of what they have heard.

He knew also that his own people will not accept him even though he will do what he did in Capernaum and in other places which people there believed and accepted him and his teachings.  “And he said, ‘Amen, I say to you, no prophet is accepted in his own native place’.” (Lk. 4: 24)  They knew him, so they could not accept him as their own prophet.  Sometimes, over-familiarity closes other possibilities and chances to discover more the person whom you believe you know through and through. The people of Nazareth radically rejected Jesus, although it was his hometown.

To cite some examples that prophets are not accepted by their own, Jesus gave the examples of the prophets Elijah and Elisha.  “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” (Lk. 4: 25-27). Their own people did not accept them and King Ahab did not obey Elijah but he preferred the false prophets of his wife Jezebel (1 Kings 16: 29; 17: 7-16); and also of Elisha where the king Joram was acting like God to cure Naaman the leprous (2 Kings 5: 1-14).

People in Nazareth knew these stories.  They knew also that Jesus referred to them those people during the time of Elijah and Elisha (nagpasaring/nagparinig).  The people of Nazareth became furious, and angry and they retaliated against Jesus to what he said. “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” (Lk. 4: 28-29).  They became violent and wanted to kill him by throwing him down in the cliff of the hill where their town was built.  But since it was not yet time to die an unplanned death and manner of dying, he escaped death on that day.  “But he passed through the midst of them and went away” (Lk. 4: 30).  He escaped untimely death from the hands of his own and went away.  He went back to Capernaum where he was accepted as prophet.