Jeremiah 1:4-10
Psalm 71:1-6
1 Corinthians 13:1-13
Luke 4:21-30
This Sunday's readings offer us yet another revelation about God's kingdom – this epiphany disclosed much about the true nature of God, which would greatly please some people, and deeply anger others.
Early in his ministry, Jesus set the stage for what was to come. After reading a passage from Isaiah in a local synagogue, Jesus pointed to two stories where the prophets of God were sent to Gentiles rather than to the Jews (One story was Elijah and the widow at Zarepath, and the other was the healing of Naaman the Syrian by Elisha).
Jesus' point was that the love of God could not and would not be contained to just those people who thought they had a special claim on God. God's love was available to anyone who would listen and accept it. No person, or group of people, regardless of their claim, had any special privileges with God. He was open to everyone, equally.
When the people in the synagogue heard this message, they were "filled with rage." They lacked the humility to listen to Jesus, or perhaps they were resentful that this commoner from Nazareth claimed to be getting messages from God. Their false pride built a wall of hatred between themselves and God's love. Right then and there, they wanted to throw Jesus off a cliff.
The reaction against Jesus is quite puzzling, especially when we begin to learn what God's love is all about. St. Paul offers us some wonderful insights about this in his letter to the Corinthians: "Love is patient, love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends."
Love creates an even playing field, and some people would prefer to have the chance to stand out, to be noticeably better than others. The illusion of superiority is quite sweet, and catches many flies. This is not to say that doing great things is bad – but if they are done without love, they are hollow acts.
Paul notes in his letter, "If I can speak in the tongues of mortals and of angels, but do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. Even if I have prophetic powers, and can understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and even if I have faith to move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give away all my possessions, and if I hand over my body so that I may boast (spiritual prowess!), but do not have love, I gain nothing."
If we can't think, speak, or act with love, then we see in a mirror dimly (only thinking of ourselves), as Paul says. As we become enlightened to the truth, we will begin to see "face to face" – we will begin to see the image of Jesus in the other person, and be able to connect to each one, heart to heart. We will also see the image of Jesus in our own soul, and begin to treat ourselves as a child of God as well, for Jesus reminds us to love our neighbor, as ourselves.
Present moment awareness, practicing the presence of God, and self-awareness can help us practice love. These tools can help us reflect on each moment of life, seeing where love played a role, and where it may have been missing. It's not always easy to interject love in a world of different values, but it can be done. Having the support of others is very important, too.
Reflection Questions/ Activities
1. Who can help you practice loving thoughts, words, and deeds?
2. Where do you see the love of God in the world around you?
3. Look for news items, either locally or internationally, where you can see the love of God in action.
4. Read through the scripture lessons for this Sunday again, and spend some time journaling your thoughts.
