Parishioner's Gospel reflection
Jesus taught with authority
23 January 2022: 3rd Sunday of the Year (Cycle C)
Parishioner’s Gospel
Contributor: Tony Luis
Luke 1-4; 4:14-21
This chapter is the opening scene in the ministry of Jesus. It is Jesus’ plan or roadmap for his work ahead and the importance of his teaching ministry.
The passage opens with Jesus returning in the power of the Spirit to Galilee from the wilderness where he had overcome temptation.
(v14a) ‘’Jesus returned in the power of the spirit’’ Luke deems it important to remind us that Jesus’ ministry is Spirit-powered.
(v14b) ‘’Into Galilee’’ Galilee, the northernmost province of the Jewish people, has been at the forefront of this Gospel and is significant. Jesus did not grow up in Jerusalem the centre of Jewish life and religious practice. Instead, he grew up in Galilee, the hinterlands, a place where Gentiles live- a nowhere place as far as the religious elite are concerned. He will carry out the major portion of his ministry in Galilee. Luke makes many references to Galilee.
And news about him spread. This is the first of several reports of people being amazed by Jesus and his growing fame.
‘’He taught in their synagogues, being glorified by all’’ The synagogues placed less emphasis on ritual and more emphasis on teaching spiritual values involving prayers, scripture reading and teaching. Synagogues influenced early Christian worship. This verse makes it clear that Jesus, ministry was well underway before he visited his boyhood hometown synagogue in Nazareth. Jesus had also done impressive work in Capernaum, his hometown as an adult.
‘’He entered as was his custom, into the synagogue on the Sabbath day’’. Luke establishes Jesus’ deep rootedness in Jewish religious tradition and his faithfulness to the synagogue and Sabbath observance.
LUKE 4:16c-19. THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD IS ON ME
16c and stood up to read. 17The book of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. He opened the book, and found the place where it was written,
18“The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor.
He has sent me to heal the broken hearted,
to proclaim release to the captives,
recovering of sight to the blind,
to deliver those who are crushed,
19and to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.”
These Isaiah verses give Jesus his commission- his mission statement – his guiding beacon. It is also the church’s commission. Throughout Luke-Acts, we see Jesus and the church bringing good news, proclaiming release, restoring sight and freeing the oppressed. It is also our commission. Jesus calls his church to love the unlovely and to serve the undeserving. The good news is not the exclusive possession of the poor, the blind and the oppressed. They will, however, hear the Gospel more gladly than others, because they have much to gain and little to lose. The rich, the powerful, and those who perceive themselves to see clearly will not be nearly as receptive. As we read these words from Isaiah, we must remember that poverty, captivity and blindness have both physical and spiritual dimensions. It is bad to have an empty wallet, but worse to have an empty soul. These verses from Isaiah hold promise, not only for the poor, but also for all Jewish people.
LUKE 4:20-21. TODAY, THIS SCRIPTURE HAS BEEN FULFILLED
20He closed the book, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of all in the synagogue were fastened on him. 21He began to tell them, “Today, this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”
“and sat down” (v 20). In the synagogue service, people would stand to read the scriptures and sit to teach.
The fulfilment of this scripture began with the life, death and resurrection of Jesus but continues in the life of the Church today. All over the world, the church is bringing good news to the poor, proclaiming release to captives, helping the blind to recover their sight, helping to free the oppressed, and proclaiming the year of the Lord’s favour. Whether championing human rights or providing relief funds for hurricane victims or drilling a well for the people of an under privileged village or training indigenous people for ministry, the church is helping Jesus to fulfil is helping Jesus to fulfil what he identified in these verses as a core part of his mission.
In our own Church, here at Holy Innocents’, we help Jesus daily to fulfil his mission by actively practising the teachings of the Pope’s encyclical, Fratelli Tutti (brothers, sisters all) having established the Good Neighbours to All Scheme to reach out to the needy and broken hearted, regardless of their background or faith.
**************************
30 January 2022: 4th Sunday of the Year (Cycle C)
Parishioner’s Gospel
Contributor: Parishioner
Luke 4:21-30
Who do we most want to bring to Christ? With whom do we most want to share God’s wonderful grace and love? No doubt it is likely to be those we cherish, our closest family, friends and neighbours, especially those who may not yet believe in Christ’s message of salvation.
In today’s gospel Christ has just begun his public ministry, healing many of the sick and troubled in the surrounding area. Now he starts to preach too, commencing in Nazareth in the synagogue of his home town. Perhaps Christ’s human nature may have drawn Him, like us, to begin first with those He held most dear, in his case the people of Nazareth, and of Israel.
The listeners, his neighbours and friends who have known him since childhood, initially attend to his wisdom and authority in awe and admiration. But as his words sink in, as he links his recent actions to the messianic prophecies in Isaiah, showing how those prophecies are being fulfilled in Him, the mood change. How could this local lad be making such outlandish claims? Puzzlement and resistance to his message creep in. Anger, hostility, fear and violence swiftly follow.
Despite the evidence before them of God’s salvation coming through Christ’s actions and words, the people he knows best turn against Him. They reject his call to repentance. They deny the revelation that He is the one sent by God, the Messiah. And we too may have found that Christ’s message seems to fall on deaf ears amongst those we know best. This experience can cause much sadness; maybe Christ also felt this same sorrow.
Many individuals are more open to receiving the message of God’s salvation from others who are not close to them. Indeed Christ points to prior prophets who brought life and healing to individuals in Sidonia and Syria rather than to their own nation of Israel. In this way he revealed that God’s salvation is intended for all peoples, not just those of Israel or those we know well. And perhaps when it comes to growing in our own relationship with God we are all at heart somewhat like querulous teenagers, preferring to be influenced by those outside our immediate social circles!
Let’s pray then that those close to our hearts are drawn to Christ, if not through ourselves then through others. And may the Spirit show us too how to be stepping stones for others, bringing Christ’s light to individuals in the wider community when the time is ripe.
Parishioner’s Gospel
Contributor: Tony Luis
Luke 1-4; 4:14-21
This chapter is the opening scene in the ministry of Jesus. It is Jesus’ plan or roadmap for his work ahead and the importance of his teaching ministry.
The passage opens with Jesus returning in the power of the Spirit to Galilee from the wilderness where he had overcome temptation.
(v14a) ‘’Jesus returned in the power of the spirit’’ Luke deems it important to remind us that Jesus’ ministry is Spirit-powered.
(v14b) ‘’Into Galilee’’ Galilee, the northernmost province of the Jewish people, has been at the forefront of this Gospel and is significant. Jesus did not grow up in Jerusalem the centre of Jewish life and religious practice. Instead, he grew up in Galilee, the hinterlands, a place where Gentiles live- a nowhere place as far as the religious elite are concerned. He will carry out the major portion of his ministry in Galilee. Luke makes many references to Galilee.
And news about him spread. This is the first of several reports of people being amazed by Jesus and his growing fame.
‘’He taught in their synagogues, being glorified by all’’ The synagogues placed less emphasis on ritual and more emphasis on teaching spiritual values involving prayers, scripture reading and teaching. Synagogues influenced early Christian worship. This verse makes it clear that Jesus, ministry was well underway before he visited his boyhood hometown synagogue in Nazareth. Jesus had also done impressive work in Capernaum, his hometown as an adult.
‘’He entered as was his custom, into the synagogue on the Sabbath day’’. Luke establishes Jesus’ deep rootedness in Jewish religious tradition and his faithfulness to the synagogue and Sabbath observance.
LUKE 4:16c-19. THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD IS ON ME
16c and stood up to read. 17The book of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. He opened the book, and found the place where it was written,
18“The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor.
He has sent me to heal the broken hearted,
to proclaim release to the captives,
recovering of sight to the blind,
to deliver those who are crushed,
19and to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.”
These Isaiah verses give Jesus his commission- his mission statement – his guiding beacon. It is also the church’s commission. Throughout Luke-Acts, we see Jesus and the church bringing good news, proclaiming release, restoring sight and freeing the oppressed. It is also our commission. Jesus calls his church to love the unlovely and to serve the undeserving. The good news is not the exclusive possession of the poor, the blind and the oppressed. They will, however, hear the Gospel more gladly than others, because they have much to gain and little to lose. The rich, the powerful, and those who perceive themselves to see clearly will not be nearly as receptive. As we read these words from Isaiah, we must remember that poverty, captivity and blindness have both physical and spiritual dimensions. It is bad to have an empty wallet, but worse to have an empty soul. These verses from Isaiah hold promise, not only for the poor, but also for all Jewish people.
LUKE 4:20-21. TODAY, THIS SCRIPTURE HAS BEEN FULFILLED
20He closed the book, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of all in the synagogue were fastened on him. 21He began to tell them, “Today, this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”
“and sat down” (v 20). In the synagogue service, people would stand to read the scriptures and sit to teach.
The fulfilment of this scripture began with the life, death and resurrection of Jesus but continues in the life of the Church today. All over the world, the church is bringing good news to the poor, proclaiming release to captives, helping the blind to recover their sight, helping to free the oppressed, and proclaiming the year of the Lord’s favour. Whether championing human rights or providing relief funds for hurricane victims or drilling a well for the people of an under privileged village or training indigenous people for ministry, the church is helping Jesus to fulfil is helping Jesus to fulfil what he identified in these verses as a core part of his mission.
In our own Church, here at Holy Innocents’, we help Jesus daily to fulfil his mission by actively practising the teachings of the Pope’s encyclical, Fratelli Tutti (brothers, sisters all) having established the Good Neighbours to All Scheme to reach out to the needy and broken hearted, regardless of their background or faith.
**************************
30 January 2022: 4th Sunday of the Year (Cycle C)
Parishioner’s Gospel
Contributor: Parishioner
Luke 4:21-30
Who do we most want to bring to Christ? With whom do we most want to share God’s wonderful grace and love? No doubt it is likely to be those we cherish, our closest family, friends and neighbours, especially those who may not yet believe in Christ’s message of salvation.
In today’s gospel Christ has just begun his public ministry, healing many of the sick and troubled in the surrounding area. Now he starts to preach too, commencing in Nazareth in the synagogue of his home town. Perhaps Christ’s human nature may have drawn Him, like us, to begin first with those He held most dear, in his case the people of Nazareth, and of Israel.
The listeners, his neighbours and friends who have known him since childhood, initially attend to his wisdom and authority in awe and admiration. But as his words sink in, as he links his recent actions to the messianic prophecies in Isaiah, showing how those prophecies are being fulfilled in Him, the mood change. How could this local lad be making such outlandish claims? Puzzlement and resistance to his message creep in. Anger, hostility, fear and violence swiftly follow.
Despite the evidence before them of God’s salvation coming through Christ’s actions and words, the people he knows best turn against Him. They reject his call to repentance. They deny the revelation that He is the one sent by God, the Messiah. And we too may have found that Christ’s message seems to fall on deaf ears amongst those we know best. This experience can cause much sadness; maybe Christ also felt this same sorrow.
Many individuals are more open to receiving the message of God’s salvation from others who are not close to them. Indeed Christ points to prior prophets who brought life and healing to individuals in Sidonia and Syria rather than to their own nation of Israel. In this way he revealed that God’s salvation is intended for all peoples, not just those of Israel or those we know well. And perhaps when it comes to growing in our own relationship with God we are all at heart somewhat like querulous teenagers, preferring to be influenced by those outside our immediate social circles!
Let’s pray then that those close to our hearts are drawn to Christ, if not through ourselves then through others. And may the Spirit show us too how to be stepping stones for others, bringing Christ’s light to individuals in the wider community when the time is ripe.