Theme: “Like Elijah and Elisha, Jesus was not sent only to the Jews.”
(Luke 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.”

Reflection

God’s incarnation meets human history’s limitation. Jesus came to his own town but faced hostile clan. St. John puts it aptly, “He came to his own, yet his own people did not receive him (Jn. 1:11a).  His folks did not like his message and instead belittled Jesus family background. 

Like the prophets, Jesus came with a universal message.  In fact, he is the message! Provincialism and narrow mindedness prevented his clan from listening to what he had to say.  It was uncomfortable for them to hear and may be to see their folk speaking the way he did.

Jesus’ message disturbs the comfortable and comforts the disturbed.   Beyond our expectation, he delivers.    The good news is never within our grasp.  There is always an element of the unknown.  Ours is to welcome God even in the unfamiliar situations.  Salvation happens when God finds a hospitable heart and welcoming spirit.