4 Sunday of the Year C

Jer 1:4-5, 17-19; Cor 12:31- 13:13; Lk 4:21-30

Introduction: This is a homily/Scripture reflection in a book, titled: ‘Every Week God Speaks We Respond’, Cycle B, intended to be published in the future by Reverend John Tran Binh Trong.

It was published in Vietnamese in the US 2008 and republished in Viet Nam 2011. To keep the author’s writing style, this homily has not been edited and may not be by a hired hand. However, if readers would like to point out mistake(s) in spelling and grammar and/or to suggest English phrases and expressions, it would be greatly appreciated by the author, whose English is not his mother tongue and who did not live in the US until his adulthood. Passive sentences are used intentionally in this context as to avoid using the first personal pronoun ‘I’ when applicable, that might be associated with any idea of egotism, in accord with the French saying, known as: ‘Le moi est haissable’ (The ego is detestable).

One of the difficult things in life is to say to people something that they do not like to hear or do not want to hear.  To say it would be displeasing to them. That was the case applied to the prophets.  Reading the Bible, we can see how to be a prophet. A prophet was a spokesperson of God, called to remind God's people of how they were called and what they were expected to be as the chosen people of God.  The book of the prophet Jeremiah today tells us when Jeremiah was sent by God to speak to God's people, he was opposed and rejected. That is the reason why Jesus in today's Gospel reminded the people that the Old Testament prophets were often sent to the Gentiles rather than to their own people. In addition, they did not perform miracles for their own people, but for the gentiles.

Jesus told them the prophet Elijah was sent to a widow of Zarephath in Syria, asking her to make him a cake for him. She had only a few flour left, enough for her and her son, but at the request of Elijah, she used it to make a cake for him, then the rest for her and her son. In response to her hospitality, Elijah promised her that her jar of flour would not become empty. The prophet Elisha was sent to heal a foreign officer, commander of the Syrian army, named Naaman from leprosy, because he showed his perseverant faith.

When Jesus began speaking in the synagogue of Nazareth, the people spoke highly of him and ‘marveled at the appealing discourse which came from his lips (Lk 4:22)’. When Jesus implied his mission was for foreigners, they were indignant and tried to find ways to get rid of him.

Acceptance or rejection of God’s word depends on our freedom.  Jesus' message and his way of life have brought about two reactions: rejection and acceptance.  Rejection was the reaction of the audience of today's Gospel. They tried to Jesus him into their notion of what he should be. They tried to fashion him of their own choosing.  When they began to feel disturbed and threatened by his message, they rejected him. Rejection of the Old Testament prophets was similar to the reaction of the people of Nazareth who did not welcome Jesus.

Why do people have their tendency not to accept their native prophet? It is possible that they have known the prophet’s family humble background. They may admire when the hometown prophet speaks well, do things good as the people of Nazareth said among themselves: Where this he get all this? What kind of wisdom is he endowed with? How is it that such miraculous deeds are accomplished by his hand? (Mk 6:2). However, perhaps due to their jealousy, they did not want to accept him.

To what category do we belong? We think and act like the people in today's Gospel, when we try to make God to be our own: god of comfort, god of special interest, god of party politics, god of political career, god of public opinion, god of our own choosing.  If we think, God is different from what he used to be, then it is because we have conditioned God to be so, in order to fit our own notion of his religion. Today we must realize one more time for all times that God is God, and his way is not our way.  God of the past, the present and the future is the same God.

Everyday God is waiting for us to invite Him into our lives so that he can touch us and transform our lives, and conform our way to his way. Perhaps we have never considered the importance of inviting the Lord into our lives, because we think he has already known about our problems and our needs. That is true. However, the door can only be open from our side.  If we decide not to open, then there is no way that God can enter because he respects our freedom to choose.

A prayer asking to have our mind and heart open to God’s grace and power:

Oh all powerful and all mighty God!

We thank you for your coming with us and your promise to come.

Grant that I may not harden my heart.

Train my mind, soften my heart, and make it open.

Grant me a humble spirit

so that your power can activate and transform my life. Amen

John Tran Binh Trong