Posted by The WORD in other words (2009) by Fr. Nilo Gealan, SVD – Vigan, Ilocus Sur
Monday 22nd Week in Ordinary Time
“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)
This is the program of the Lord. This is the announcement of his mission. This is also the beginning of his mission. It was for this mission that he was consecrated by the Spirit and sent by the Father. Jesus’ mission is a program of liberation from all forms of slavery. It is also a program of reconciliation with the Father and among men and women: “a year acceptable to the Lord.”
But this program demands a response to possible beneficiaries — all of us. The Lord Jesus gave two examples of God’s miraculous reward to two pagans : a widow in Zarephath and Naaman the Syrian. They heard God’s word and even though God’s demand on them seemed to be unreasonable, by human ways, they had believed and obeyed and were rewarded.
The woman of Zarephath responded in faith. She believed the statement of one man of God, Elijah. She had no proof that the oil and the meal would not be consumed. From day to day she had to experience that fact, that God had promised. She believed without proof and she was rewarded.
The people of Nazareth, like many of us, wanted the reward first and then they would believe. God does not deal in this way. God requires that we believe first and then rewards will be given in due time, in his time, in God’s time.
The quote from Luke 14, 18 above is the Lord Jesus’ program. Do we have other programs other than Jesus’?
One comment