The Pain Of A New Idea

Homily 02 03 2013
4th Sunday Ordinary Time C

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Today's Gospel is a continuation of last Sunday's gospel, presenting his own people's reaction to Jesus' "Inaugural Address." The reading shows us how Jesus faced skepticism and criticism with prophetic courage.

Along with Jeremiah, Jesus and Paul believed that they were commissioned by God to proclaim a disturbing prophetic message No matter how strong the opposition, the three had the conviction that God was with them.

One of the greatest pains to human nature is the pain of a new idea...

The citizens of Nazareth were the favored people and they resented Jesus taking God's Word of grace to others beyond Nazareth, especially to Capernaum. After all, Capernaum was heavily populated by non-Jews.

Israel had been full of widows in Elijah's day, yet Elijah went to the house of a widow in Sidon. Also, Israel had many lepers in Elisha's time, yet Elisha had given the blessing of God to a man from Syria.

These stories were quite familiar and part of their tradition. But grace for all was not what they expected to hear from one who was one of them. Most prophets do not get a good hearing in their own country, or popular acceptance during their own lifetime.

Jesus was favorably received by his townsfolk until he challenged the provincial, racial prejudice. He dared to declare that the children of Israel were not special favorites of God." The people became angry and set out to do away with Jesus

We still reject the biblical Jesus. Jesus Christ is the way, the truth and the life. In Christ hangs the destiny of us all.

Risks must be taken, because the greatest hazard in life is to risk nothing. The person who risks nothing, does nothing, has nothing, and is nothing. They may avoid suffering and sorrow, but they cannot learn, feel, change, grow, love, live.

There was a wonderful movie titled, Ruby Bridges, the story of Ruby Bridges, a six-year-old African-American girl, who was the first person to integrate the schools in New Orleans.

Every day the federal marshals escorted her into the schoolhouse because both sides of the sidewalk would be lined with people who were screaming threats.

Robert Coles, a noted Harvard psychiatrist, volunteered his time to work with young Ruby. Every day he would talk with her, trying to help her weather the crisis.

On the news one night, he noticed her walking up the sidewalk and the people were screaming and throwing things, but suddenly she stopped and said something and started backing down the sidewalk. Then the marshals picked her up and took her into the building.

That night, Cole asked her what she said to the marshals. She said, "I was not talking to the marshals." He said, "Yes, you were. I saw you on the news. I saw your lips moving. You were talking to the marshals." She said, "I was not talking to the marshals." He said, "Well, what were you doing?" She said, "I was praying for those people who were hollering at me. I had forgotten to pray and I was trying to go back and pray for them as I walked to the school building." Cole shook his head and said, "You were praying for the people who were screaming at you?" She said, "Yes, my mama taught me that when people speak mean of you, you pray for them just like Jesus prayed for the people who spoke mean of him."

A final story about dreaming, and accomplishing goals...

A young boy of 9 was sitting in his father's workshop watching his dad work on a harness. "Someday Father," said Louis, I want to be a harness-maker, just like you." "Why not start now?" said the father. He took a piece of leather and drew a design on it. "Now" he said, "take the hole-punch and hammer out this design, but be careful that you don't hit your hand."

Excited, the boy began to work, but when he hit the hole-punch, it flew out of his hand and pierced his eye! He lost his sight in that eye. Later, as fate would have it, sight in the other eye failed. Louis was now totally blind.

A few years later, Louis was sitting in the family garden when a friend handed him a pinecone. As he ran his sensitive fingers over the cone, an idea came to him. He became enthusiastic and began to create an alphabet of raised dots on paper so that the blind could feel and interpret.

Thus, Louis Braille in 1818 opened up a whole new world for the blind.

What is it that Jesus intends to do during his three years of ministry? It is this: To open up a whole new world for you and for me. To bring us out of our poverty that has long held us down and to recover sight that you and I have long since lost.

Jesus came from the rural and more conservative hill country, he held that not only did God care about those who were not Jews, sometimes God had a preferential option for outsiders. Of all the gospels, the book of Luke most clearly makes the point.

There are, according to Jesus, no limits to God's love. And as Jesus lived his Mission, we are reminded to live out our Mission as well.

jjl

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