Untouched by the World

Gospel Reflection for September 2, 2024

“He came to Nazareth, where he had grown up, and went according to his custom into the synagogue on the sabbath day. He stood up to read and was handed a scroll of the prophet Isaiah. He unrolled the scroll and found the passage where it was written:

   ‘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.

Rolling up the scroll, he handed it back to the attendant and sat down, and the eyes of all in the synagogue looked intently at him. He said to them, ‘Today this scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.’ And all spoke highly of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth. They also asked, ‘Isn’t this the son of Joseph?’ He said to them, ‘Surely you will quote me this proverb, ‘Physician, cure yourself,’ and say, ‘Do here in your native place the things that we heard were done in Capernaum.’ And he said, ‘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.” (Luke 4:16-30 NABRE)

Jesus was rejected by the people who knew Him best. His family, friends, and His neighbors did not believe that He was God. They heard the words of the Lord, and yet, God’s Word fell on deaf and unwilling ears. Jesus’ companions were so outraged by His proclamation of Divinity, that they resorted to killing Him for blasphemy.

In many ways, today’s modern culture is strikingly similar to the people of Jesus’ hometown. Despite the reality of God’s presence, people reject His Word, His call, and His existence. They deny that Jesus is Divine and mock Christianity. They reject Jesus and are intolerant of all who accept and follow Him, much like Jesus’ very own family, friends, and neighbors.

Yet, the closing sentence of this passage is so significant and offers hope. Even when the people of Jesus’ hometown sought to kill Him and to stomp out the faith He had stirred up, and even when He was led to the edge of a cliff, Jesus ended up turning right back around from the cliff and strolled directly through the midst of an entire crowd safe and sound. He was untouched and went on His way. How incredible and awe inspiring!!

This is God’s message to us: even when our God is mocked, even when we as Catholics are persecuted, and even when it seems like the world is trying to stomp out our faith and to obliterate Christian morals from the world, we are called to carry on. We are called to trust God, and to trust that HE is Who’s in control. Jesus is triumphant, and in being united to Him, so are we. So, like Jesus, may we walk in faith, seeking to be untouched by the evils of the world, and trusting that our Father is in control.

“Make no mistake: God is not mocked.” (Galatians 6:7)