Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 4, 24-30
Jesus said to the people in the synagogue at Nazareth:
“Amen, I say to you,
no prophet is accepted in his own native place.
Indeed, I tell you, there were many widows in Israel
in the days of Elijah
when the sky was closed for three and a half years
and a severe famine spread over the entire land.
It was to none of these that Elijah was sent,
but only to a widow in Zarephath in the land of Sidon.
Again, there were many lepers in Israel
during the time of Elisha the prophet;
yet not one of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian.”
When the people in the synagogue heard this,
they were all filled with fury.
They rose up, drove him out of the town,
and led him to the brow of the hill
on which their town had been built,
to hurl him down headlong.
But he passed through the midst of them and went away.
Your own native place
1. Prophet. When you act with honesty and strive to touch other people’s hearts, there will always be people observing you closely, waiting for an opportunity to criticize or attack. Often, it’s those nearest to you who can create the biggest obstacles. For example, you see this when siblings speak poorly of each other shortly after a parent’s death, or in the harsh battles between separated couples, where intimate knowledge is used against each other. In church and religious life, there’s a tendency to follow the “law of the lawn”: if anyone stands out, they must be cut down. Jesus faced this same reality, but He confronted it with courage. The essential thing is to remain true to yourself and remember your purpose—why you are here, at this time. Challenges may come from those who know you best, but your mission is to encourage even those farthest away to live fully.
2. Sent. Life itself is full of surprises; it places people in your path you never could have imagined. That’s just how God works. That’s why you need to honestly reflect on whether you are making a positive impact on someone else’s life. Ask yourself, “Am I making things a little easier for those around me?” More and more, I’m realizing that God places me exactly where He wants me to be, with the people He chooses for me.
3. To hurl him down. When Jesus spoke, some wanted to kill him. So, don’t be naïve—there are people in this world who don’t have good intentions toward you. They might slander or even attempt to destroy you. Let go of the illusion that you can be everyone’s friend or that everyone will speak well about you. That’s just not going to happen. Be aware that some will appreciate you and others won’t. The real issue isn’t whether people like you or not, but when you exhaust yourself trying to win over those who don’t accept you. Be cautious—don’t give yourself over to those who would ultimately seek to harm you.
Remember that something good is on the way!
God bless you and be with you in the name of the Father, of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
