4th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Lk 4:21-30)
The Rejection of God
Have you ever been rejected by a group of people? If you are a teacher – and a capable one, you might have an experience of being rejected by a class. If you are a preacher – and an effective one at that, you might have an experience of being rejected by a congregation. If you are a speaker or a performer you might have an experience of being rejected by an audience. If you have attempted to love some people in your life, perhaps you may have experienced being rejected by another person.
In the gospel story of today – a sequel to the gospel passage of last Sunday – Jesus experiences rejection. He is rejected by the people of his own village. In a traditional village like Nazareth, people would have been well known to each other, and even be related to each other. And so among those who rejected Jesus there would have a good number of his relatives, play-mates, friends.
But note, it was Jesus’ claim that in his person and in their hearing of his proclamation the prophesy of Isaiah was fulfilled that enraged the people. He claimed to usher in the time of grace, the year of Jubilee. And they are rejecting Jesus’ claim that in his person there is the reign of God. They are rejecting the Son of God.
Their rejection of the Son of God could be a symbol of our own rejection of God. Often this rejection may not be a downright denial of God, nor a walking away from God. It could be a very subtle way of keeping God out of our life. It might even appear to be faith and loyalty, but there could be a rejection of God as He is! Let us consider this in some detail.
This is Joseph’s son, surely? – Not ready to be surprised by God
One way we can reject God is by showing just how much we know him. We repeat formulas: “God is three in one… He is the creator… He is all powerful…” After all, we know him! We idolise God. God becomes static. I have been going to Church and praying to this God all my life, surely! In this way, we are not ready to be surprised by the God who is new all the time. We might get stuck to one particular experience of God that happened to us in the past; we might get stuck to one particular way of praying and meditating; we might get stuck to one particular place or action that seems to comfort us.
This is how the people of Nazareth reject Jesus: This is Joseph’s son, surely! We know him only too well. What new can he tell us?
The Word of God today invites us to relate to God as he is. Here and Now!
Do the same here in your own countryside! – Conditioning God
Sometimes in the name of faith we tend to condition God. We want a miracle now, because Jesus said even faith as big as a mustard seed could move mountains. And we want God to move mountains now. We want God to act the way we want. We want God to act at a time that we want. We call it faith.
This is how Jesus verbalises the attitude of the people of Nazareth: “We have heard all that happened in Capernaum, do the same here in your own countryside.”
The Word of God today invites us to allow God as He wills – in His own way, in His own time!
Here, what Pope Francis says in the context of ‘pastoral discernment’ in Amoris Laetitia (no.305), could be relevant to my own relationship with God today:
“By thinking that everything is black and white, we sometimes close off the way of grace and of growth, and discourage paths of sanctification which give glory to God.”