Luke 4:14-22 Scripture Fulfilled
Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled.
John the Baptist was not the Messiah. He said no when asked. The Lord walked into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, took into his hand the scroll that was handed to him, unrolled the scroll and found the famous passage from Isaiah, “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.”
After reading what was handed to him, Jesus told everyone, “Today, this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.” In other words, I am the one who was to come. Or better, “I AM.”
At first, they were all amazed at Jesus – his wisdom, his knowledge, his talents at such a young age and despite his poor background and education. But then the crowd turned on him with that most interesting of human reactions: shock. Shock is more than surprise, it is disbelief. It is a lack of faith and immediately the Lord sets off a firestorm! Why? Who are you? How can this be? They spoke highly of him when he was a no body, but know that he was a “somebody”; they could not stand to hear it. A prophet is not welcomed in his own town. (cf. Lk 4:24)
“I have come to set the world on fire and how I wish it were already ablaze!” Christ came to give and take, to divide and conquer, to separate and save, and to separate and burn! Those who believe are saved. Those who do not are condemned. This is unsettling for those who have much; are seated in high places, or consider themselves something when they are really nothing! This saying is absolutely liberating, for those who are captive, for those who are oppressed; lonely and caring for the orphan, the sick and the poor. This is absolutely hair-raising for the heroic single parent, the lonely child, the vagabond, the abandoned elderly, the mentally or physically ill; the unstable. This may all be liberating for them but is it true for us? For those who have received so much? I would have to say that it is frightening, to say the least.
Everyone appreciates a boss that tells them what is expected of them. Everyone would love to work for someone like that. The work is clear, the expectations are clear; nothing is left to chance. The Lord does the same for us. He tells us what he expects from us. Every Christian is asked to set the world ablaze, and to bring glad tidings to those who suffer.
The Holy Father, Pope Benedict, in his book, What it Means to Be a Christian, writes that if Christianity is going to make any inroads in our society today, it must be more than brave. It must be heroic!
“In our generation the Christian Faith finds itself in a much deeper crisis than at any other time in the past. In this situation it is no solution to shut our eyes in fear in the face of pressing problems, or to simply pass over them. If faith is to survive this age, then it must be lived, and above all, lived in this age. And this is possible only if a manifestation of faith is shown to have value for our present day, by growing to knowledge and fulfillment.” May the Lord fulfill Scripture with our lives!
The picture you chose captures your message beautifully. It really speaks volumes!!!!
ReplyDeleteHave the best day!
“The work is clear, the expectations are clear; nothing is left to chance. The Lord does the same for us. He tells us what he expects from us. Every Christian is asked to set the world ablaze, and to bring glad tidings to those who suffer.”
ReplyDeleteWhat if we are the ones who cause suffering? Does the good we do, negate the suffering we may cause? Do our good intentions keep us from being responsible for the pain that is inflicted? Are we responsible for making amends or warning others who may also be participating in causing the suffering of others?
These questions come to mind when I think about what God’s expectations are and how we can perpetuate the suffering of others or participate in it. I think about all those who genuinely believe they are helping women by aiding places like Planned Parenthood, where the abortions and birth control pills they administer are taking lives and wrecking lives of the very ones they proclaim they are helping. And Susan G. Komen, who gives the illusion that they are ‘saving lives’ with all the money the raise, when actually they are increasing a woman's chance of getting breast cancer by giving money to Planned Parenthood because abortion raises a woman’s chance by 25% of getting breast cancer. Are those who know the truth and continue to cooperate with practices that cause suffering because they believe the good that is done outweighs the suffering they are perpetuating? Should they make amends in some way for the damage they’ve done or at least share the truth with others who may not know it?
“If Christianity is going to make any inroads in our society today, it must be more than brave. It must be heroic!”
I believe bringing the truth out to those who are participating in the suffering of others is heroic, especially when they will come against criticism, anger and rejection and even persecution for doing it. I don’t think being heroic is just about running into burning buildings or diving into rushing waters to save lives.
“In our generation the Christian Faith finds itself in a much deeper crisis than at any other time in the past. In this situation it is no solution to shut our eyes in fear in the face of pressing problems, or to simply pass over them. If faith is to survive this age, then it must be lived, and above all, lived in this age.”
I believe this last statement is the answer to all the questions above. We are to speak the truth rather than sit on it, hide from it, or do nothing out of the fear of retaliation, persecution or the ‘feelings’ that may get hurt by sharing the truth.
And what about less obvious ways we are hurting others with our good intentions?