Gospel Delights!

Monday, September 4, 2023

1 Thes 4:13-18; Lk 4:16-30

In today’s Gospel, Jesus is given the scroll from the Prophet Isaiah to read. Jesus reads it in their hearing. Until then, there is no problem. But the moment Jesus claims that the text represents his identity and the purpose of his mission, there is uproar. 

Why should Jesus do what they would dislike? He could have enjoyed his popularity and befriended more people. Jesus didn’t do that!

Jesus came to the world as the Messiah, the Son of God. Does laying claim to his messianic identity mean he attempts division? No! Jesus is not dividing people but uniting them in his name. But the fact that Jesus unites people ‘in his name’ is detested by his enemies. It is by asserting his identity and by creating a new community characterized by radical difference that Jesus becomes the sign opposed by many (Lk 2:34). This helps us explain his dining habits with tax collectors and sinners, even at the risk of his reputation (Mt 9:10-17). 

Why did Jesus not submit to their expectations to continue to enjoy his popularity? A saying comes to mind: ‘A ship in the harbor is safe; but that is not what the ships are built for.’ Jesus never compromised his identity or lost sight of his mission to unite people. As Christians, we are invited not to compromise but to assert the difference of our identity with pride. 

Fr. Dhinakaran Savariyar