The rejection at Nazareth
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.
Ang pagtaboy kay Jesus sa Nazaret
Lucas 4:21-30
21 Sinimulan niyang sabihin sa kanila: Sa araw na ito, habang kayo ay nakikinig, ang kasulatang ito ay naganap.
22 Ang lahat ay nagpatotoo sa kaniya. Namangha sila sa mga mabiyayang salita na lumabas sa kaniyang bibig. Sinabi nila: Hindi ba ito ang anak ni Jose?
23 Sinabi ni Jesus sa kanila: Tiyak na sasabihin ninyo sa akin ang talinghagang ito: Manggagamot, pagalingin mo ang iyong sarili. Ang anumang narinig naming ginawa mo sa Capernaum ay gawin mo rin dito sa sarili mong bayan.
24 Sinabi niya: Totoong sinasabi ko sa inyo, walang propetang tinatanggap sa kaniyang sariling bayan. 25 Sinasabi ko sa inyo ang katotohanan: Sa panahon ni Elias ay maraming mga babaeng balo sa Israel. Ang langit ay isinara sa loob ng tatlong taon at anim na buwan. Nagkaroon ng malaking taggutom sa lahat ng lupain. 26 Sa panahong iyon ay hindi isinugo si Elias sa mga babaeng balo maliban sa isang babaeng balo sa Sarepat. Ang Sarepat ay isang bayan sa Sidon. 27 Sa panahon ng propetang si Eliseo ay maraming ketongin sa Israel. Walang nilinis sa kanila maliban kay Naaman na taga-Siria.
Returning to his native Nazareth, Jesus is welcomed as a son who “made good” in other towns, and he impresses people when he reads and comments on the prophet Isaiah. But things turn awry when he touches the sensitive feelings of the Nazarenes, influenced by the clannishness and exclusivity that characterized the mentality of the Jews who came back from exile long ago. The Nazarenes think that they are entitled to the wonders that Jesus is said to accomplish. They cannot bear the thought that people outside their own family, clan, or milieu can share in the same grace or privilege.
Jesus refuses to be tied to this kind of provincialism. As a prophet, he does not live up to the expectations of people, but is totally guided by the word of God that he must transmit “in season and out of season”—whether people accept or reject it. In this instance, he shows the Nazarenes—and all the Jews—that God is the God not just of Israel, but of the pagans, too. The example of the prophets Elijah and Elisha who were sent to the pagans even in Israel’s time of need is a clear sign that Israel cannot possess God or dictate on what God can or cannot do.
Like the prophet Jeremiah, Jesus becomes “a fortified city, a pillar of iron, a wall of brass, against the whole land” (see First Reading) to those who would dissuade him from doing the will of the Father. He is accused of being a glutton and a drunkard for associating with tax collectors and sinners (Lk 7:34). The Nazarenes want to get rid of him as a “Gentile-lover,” while the Samaritans do not want to receive him in their village because “his destination is Jerusalem” (Lk 9:53), a Jew to the core. Neither the murderous intentions of his fellow citizens nor the refusal of non-Jews can deter Jesus from following the will of the Father.
Thank you lord for the success of our Buhay Pagmamahal seminar today. May we continue to serve you with sincere humbleness and wholehearted servanthood. In Jesus name, Amen.
SOURCE: “365 Days with the Lord