Today’s Gospel, one filled with symbolism, compels me to contemplate the opposite notions of “rejection” and “inclusion.” In St. Luke’s account of the preaching of Jesus in the synagogue at Nazareth (see Luke 4:21-30), we see that at first his listeners “spoke highly of him” and were “amazed at his gracious words,” but that even so they were doubtful about the good reputation that had preceded him there.
Sensing their incredulousness, Jesus compares them to the unfaithful people who lived during the times of the Old Testament prophets Elijah and Elisha; those people, considered to be “God’s chosen ones,” should have been open to the message of the prophets but instead were not. Because those “religious people” were in fact not faithful, Elijah went on to relieve instead the hunger of a gentile “widow in Zarephath in the land of Sidon” while Elisha cured instead the gentile leper “Naaman the Syrian.”
The implication of this comparison would have been very clear to the people in that synagogue at Nazareth: Jesus was telling them that they actually lacked true faith, and that others who were not of “his native place,” and who would have been considered to be “unworthy,” were better suited to receive God’s favor and graces. St. Luke tells us that the people in the synagogue were then “filled with fury” and rejected Jesus because his words.
This event reveals to us that Jesus was first called to preach to his own people, and then after many would reject him, he was destined to take the message of salvation to the rest of the world–to the gentiles of every land and nation. The gentiles are our own ancestors, and by inheritance, most of us who come to church today! It should also be noted that the behavior of the people of Nazareth paralleled the subsequent and initial enthusiasm of those “religious people” who triumphantly welcomed Jesus into Jerusalem but who then later rejected him because of his message of inclusion and salvation for all people.
The “fury” and murderous intent of the people of Nazareth is comparable to the actions of those “religious people” who eventually did arrest him, scourge him at the pillar, and put him to death on a cross. Jesus had preached a message of inclusion, and therefore found himself rejected–and thus able to show solidarity with all people who could be thought to be “unworthy of God’s love.” Because of this, I believe the original and faithful followers of Jesus, his disciples and the Apostles who were truly “religious people,” understood it to be their mission to preach the Gospel to every land and people–to both the gentiles and to those who had already and always been faithful to those prophets of old.
The clear message of today’s Gospel is that with the beginning of the Messianic ministry of Jesus, faith and salvation became possible for all people of the world. All people means “all people.” And so my sisters and brothers, in our own day when we hear of modern-day “gentiles” who are considered by some “religious people” to be unworthy of God’s grace and love, let us recall the words of Jesus concerning the widow in Zarephath in the land of Sidon, and Naaman the Syrian.
May we not be “filled with fury” when we find out that such people, even so-called “sinners,” have a place at God’s table as well. My friends, I believe our faith is one of “inclusion” and not “rejection.” Let us admonish and encourage each other with this message of our Gospel!
Praise God! Friar Timothy
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