A reading from the gospel according to Luke 4:16-30

16 Jesus came to Nazareth, where he had grown up, and went according to his custom into the synagogue on the Sabbath day. He stood up to read
17 and was handed a scroll of the prophet Isaiah. He unrolled the scroll and found the passage where it was written:
18 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,
19 and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord.
20 Rolling up the scroll, he handed it back to the attendant and sat down, and the eyes of all in the synagogue looked intently at him.
21 He said to them, “Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.”
22 And all spoke highly of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth. They also asked, “Is this not the son of Joseph?”
23 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.’”
24 And he said, “Amen, I say to you, no prophet is accepted in his own native place.
25 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.
26 It was to none of these that Elijah was sent, but only to a widow in Zarephath in the land of Sidon.
27 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.”
28 When the people in the synagogue heard this, they were all filled with fury.
29 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.
30 But he passed through the midst of them and went away.

Reflection: Gracious Words

Good News: The scripture passage is fulfilled in YOUR hearing.

Jesus returns to Nazareth, His native town. Surely, He does not forget His own people. He knew many of them heard about the miracles He performed in Capernaum and other neighboring towns. They waited for His return expecting that He will also do mighty deeds for their eyes to see. Alas, they were disappointed because Jesus did not perform many miracles there not only because of their lack of faith but also because they rejected Him. Jesus Himself observed that no prophet is accepted in his own native place.

Early in His ministry, Jesus made clear His mission namely:
a) Bring glad tidings to the poor;
b) Proclaim liberty to captives and recovery of sight to the blind;
c) Freedom to the oppressed;
d) Proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord.

These are “gracious words that came from the mouth” of Jesus. It is His intention to give grace to the poor, the captives, the blind, the oppressed and to unite back the people to His Father.

Jesus also said that these “gracious words” are fulfilled today in our hearing. They are fulfilled today, not tomorrow. They are accomplished in our hearing, meaning, as we listen.

Yet even as Jesus speaks, the people were raising their eyebrows and began to murmur. Where and how did an ordinary carpenter get His wisdom? Let Him show us His power! Jesus knew the people were sneering at Him so he told them the truth about their lack of honor for Him. So they got furious and tried to drive Him down the precipice.

Two Important Lessons from the Gospel Passage:
1. If we acknowledge that in some ways, we are poor, captive, blind, and oppressed, then the mission of Jesus is for us. We need Him to liberate us or to set us free from the effects of sin that separate us from our Father in Heaven. It is important therefore that we LISTEN to Him in order to fulfill His mission in our life.

2. The people during the time of Jesus are not much different from us. We too reject many messengers of God because of our biases and prejudices. More often than not, we tend to listen to a person we do not know than a person familiar to us like our kinsmen or relatives. It does not occur to us that anyone can be used by God to give us the Good News of salvation. In the words of Desiderata: “listen to others, even to the dull and the ignorant; they too have their story.”

*****

In this Gospel reading: we witness a profound moment in Jesus’ ministry. He returns to Nazareth, His hometown, and reads from the scroll of Isaiah in the synagogue. The passage He reads declares, “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” After reading, Jesus boldly proclaims, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”

This moment is striking not only for what Jesus says but also for how His words are received. Initially, the people are amazed, but soon, doubt and disbelief creep in. They question how this man, whom they have known since childhood, could make such claims. Their skepticism leads them to reject Him, and they even attempt to drive Him out of town.

Jesus’ experience in Nazareth highlights a significant challenge we all face in living out our faith: the challenge of familiarity. Often, those closest to us may struggle to see the transformative work God is doing in our lives. They may doubt our calling or dismiss the changes we’ve undergone. This can be discouraging, especially when we feel the call to share the good news, to bring healing, and to stand up for justice in our communities.

However, Jesus’ response to rejection is instructive. He does not let the disbelief of others deter Him from His mission. He continues to preach, heal, and deliver those in need, undeterred by the opposition. This teaches us that our calling is not dependent on others’ acceptance but on our obedience to God.

In our own lives, we may face moments when our faith is questioned, or our efforts to live out God’s call are met with resistance or suspicion. During these times, it is crucial to remember that God’s anointing empowers us to fulfill His purposes, regardless of the obstacles. Like Jesus, we are called to be bearers of good news, agents of healing, and champions of justice, even in the face of rejection.

Let us be encouraged to embrace our calling with boldness, trusting that God’s Spirit is upon us, guiding and strengthening us to fulfill His will, no matter the challenges we may encounter.

See also: Matthew 13:54-58 Reflection; Mark 6:1-6 Reflection