Gospel for Sunday, January 30 Luke 4: 21-30
IV Sunday C
21Then he began to say to them: “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing”. 22Everyone bore witness to him and were amazed at the words of grace that came from his mouth and said: “Isn’t this the son of Joseph?”. 23But he replied to them: “You will certainly quote this proverb to me: Doctor, heal yourself. What we have heard that happened in Capernaum, do it here too, in your homeland!”. 24Then he added: “Truly I say to you: no prophet is welcome in his own country. 25Indeed, truly I say to you, there were many widows in Israel in the time of Elijah, when the heavens were closed for three years and six months, and there was a great famine throughout the land; 26but to none of them was Elijah sent, except to a widow in Zarephath of Sidon. 27There were many lepers in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha; but none of them was purified except Naaman the Syrian”. 28When everyone in the synagogue heard these things, they were filled with indignation. 29They rose up and drove him out of the city and led him to the edge of the mountain, on which their city was built, to throw him down. 30But he, passing among them, set out.
Luke 4: 21-30
Dear Sisters and Brothers of the Misericordie, I am Carlo Miglietta, doctor, biblical scholar, layman, husband, father and grandfather (www.buonabibbiaatutti.it).
Also today I share with you a short meditation thought on the Gospel, with special reference to the theme of mercy.
YOU ARE NOT A MUTE GOD…
O God, we need answers: does our life have a purpose? Why fight, why be good? Why the pain, which grips us all? And why death, which destroys our hopes and our loves? We wander, today more than ever, with disturbing doubts and poorly repressed anger, between anguishing silences and din of responses… And we seek the answer from gurus and masters, fortune tellers and holy men, in horoscopes or new philosophies…
But you are not a silent God: you have always spoken, sending into the world yesterday as today your prophets (from “pro-phaino”, I speak in the name of another), your messengers (Hag 1.13), called by you (“nabi”) to shout your messages to the world (Ex 7,1-2; 4,16; Jer 15,19), but first of all seers (“hozeh”), contemplating your mystery of love, men of God (1 Sam 9.8-10) and of the Spirit (Hos 9.7).
You are not a silent God: and through these your servants (Jer 7.25; Is 52.13-53.12), who you choose and send (Is 6; Jer 1; Ez 1-3; Am 7; Hos 2…), always talk to us; they are slaves of your Word, which seduces them, which becomes an uncontainable fire that burns within them (Jer, 20,7-9): thus they become your mouth, silencing their words more and more to make only the Word resonate, until to become a “voiceless lamb” (Is 53.7). And for us they become the sentinels (Is 52.8), the guardians (Is 21.11-12), the shepherds (Zech 10.2-3), the powerful intercessors and mediators (Ex 32; 1 Sam 8.12; Jer 15.18…), even if, today as yesterday, we always oppose them, persecute them and kill them (Jer 20; Is 8,17; Ez 3,14-15; 1 Kings 18-19…).
You are not a silent God: and in the fullness of time (Dt 18,9-22) you send us your Son himself, Jesus, as your last and definitive prophet, final exegesis of all prophecies, your total Revelation (Lk 6,4 ). Luke presents him as a prophet (9.8.19) pervaded by your Spirit (4.1. 14. 18; 10.21); his Word is your Word (4.43; 7.19-23; 8.1; 16.16), full of your power (“exousìa”: 20.1-8). Like all the prophets, we did not welcome him (4.24); like the prophets, we killed him in Jerusalem (13.33). But his death is the foundation of the “new covenant in his blood, which is shed for us” (22.20). Because he is also the only Savior (“soter”: 1,78-79; 2,11.30-32), the one in whom you have definitively visited us (7,16; 19,44), who brings your Peace ( “Shalom”), festive and full reconciliation with God and among men (2.14; 19.38.42), liberation from all evil, from illness, from fear, from death, from lies, from violence, from injustice ( 4.18-19; 7.22), from sin (5.20-32; 15.1-2; 7.47-49; 19.10; 15); universal redemption, without cultural, sexual, ethnic or religious distinctions (13.29; 23.39-43), but above all for the poorest, the unfortunate, the excluded, the oppressed (4.16-21: cf. Is 61, 1-2; 13.22-30; 14.15-24); redemption that surpasses history (21.28; 23.41) and which establishes your Kingdom among us forever (17.21). Because Jesus is the Lord (2.11…) and your Only Begotten, in whom you are well pleased (1.35; 2.49; 3.21-22; 9.35…).
You are not a silent God: now in Jesus your own Word, your own Word (Jn 1.1) has become flesh and has placed your Presence among us (Jn 1.14). Jesus is your definitive answer to men: in him every question now finds a solution, every desire satisfaction, every anguish comfort, every suffering healing, death resurrection. You are not a silent God!
Happy Mercy to all!
Anyone who would like to read a more complete exegesis of the text, or some insights, please ask me at migliettacarlo@gmail.com.