bromeliad yesterday

 

hawk yesterday

 

september 4 2006

1 Cor 2:1-5 When I came to you, brothers and sisters, proclaiming the mystery of God, I did not come with sublimity of words or of wisdom. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ, and him crucified. I came to you in weakness and fear and much trembling, and my message and my proclamation were not with persuasive words of wisdom, but with a demonstration of spirit and power, so that your faith might rest not on human wisdom but on the power of God.

Ps 119:97, 98, 99, 100, 101, 102 R. (97) Lord, I love your commands. How I love your law, O LORD! It is my meditation all the day.
R. Lord, I love your commands.
Your command has made me wiser than my enemies,for it is ever with me.
R. Lord, I love your commands.
I have more understanding than all my teacherswhen your decrees are my meditation.
R. Lord, I love your commands.
I have more discernment than the elders, because I observe your precepts.
R. Lord, I love your commands.
From every evil way I withhold my feet,that I may keep your words.
R. Lord, I love your commands.
From your ordinances I turn not away,for you have instructed me.
R. Lord, I love your commands.

Lk 4:16-30 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 and was handed a scroll of the prophet Isaiah. He unrolled the scroll and found the passage where it was written: 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, and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord. 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. He said to them,“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, “Is this not 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 he passed through the midst of them and went away
They were amazed at the wisdom and authority with which Jesus spoke of the Scriptures of Isaiah. As Jesus speaks to the crowd he is the prophet and the people are not able to see the full divinity of being in him although at first they are in awe of him. They are expecting him to do here what he has done in Capernaum working miracles and healing the sick.

Jesus is teaching that only the chosen only a few through the narrow gate will be saved and healed. With the lepers it was only Naman who was healed by Elisha. It was only the widow of Zarephath who was saved by Elijah. When Jesus speaks as a prophet to the crowd they are not accepting they see him as a heretic and decide to drive him off a cliff, but in the midst of the throng, he disappears.

Prophecy has the call to speak God's will in the present and the price is often rejection, attack and anger from those who hear the word of the prophet. The prophets of God listen to God and speak what they hear willing to accept whatever may come from that. The path of authentic faith is foremost.