September 26, 2024 Daily Dose of Discernment

“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.” (Luke 4:18-19)

Jesus was the man of the hour. He made news in Capernaum and many believed He could be the Messiah. Now He sort of had a homecoming in Nazareth. He was asked to read and preach in the synagogue before an audience of curious and expectant villagers. The text for the day was a very familiar portion of Isaiah which talks about the Spirit of God being on His Anointed Messiah who would bring justice and freedom to Israel and vengeance on her Gentile enemies. Jesus read all of it but left out the last portion about their longed-for day of reckoning. Intentionally. And His listeners were not happy about it. To add insult to injury, He told stories about God showing favor to a widow of Sidon and a general of the Syrian army, one of their worst oppressors from before. Consequently, He was mobbed by the angry townspeople who drove Him out of town and tried to push Him down a cliff.

Israel was, as the Church is today, the chosen people of God, not to be exclusive recipients of His favor, but to be instruments through whom all nations can be blessed. This has been the benevolent intention of God from eternity. He is not willing that any should perish but that all find life. He even gave His life to make it available to all. May the same zeal consume us as partakers of His good nature.