FOURTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME, YEAR C

Jeremiah 1:4-5.17-19
Psalm 70
1Corinthians 13:1-13
Luke 4:21-30

THE LOT OF A PROPHET

A prophet is the spokesperson of God. He speaks on behalf of God. As such, prophets are often not welcomed. They may be rejected, maltreated or persecuted, especially by their own kins: “No prophet is ever accepted in his own country,” Jesus tells his townsmen. This was the experience of Jesus and many prophets including Jeremiah.

The evangelist Luke continues his report of the visit of Jesus to the synagogue of his hometown. He preached so well that the people marveled at his gracious words and eloquence. But this admiration turned into rage. Their amazement quickly turned into hatred. Thus, they ejected him out of the synagogue. They wanted to push him off the cliff on which their town was built. But Jesus walked through them and left.

Such treatment of men of God was not uncommon. The prophet Jeremiah was to have similar experience. Since his mother’s womb, God had chosen him to be a prophet to the nations. But he was to face opposition and hostility. The people would fight against him, but they would not overcome him because God had made him a fortified city. The Lord was with him to deliver him.

By virtue of our baptism, we too are prophets. We must speak and proclaim the words of God to our contemporaries. But we must keep two things in mind. First, we will face challenges, rejection, criticisms and oppositions. And yet, we should not be afraid because the Lord is with us. With God, we shall overcome. Second, we may have all it takes to be a good prophet; but without love, we are “simply a gong booming or a cymbal clashing”. Love is a gift that lasts forever, says St Paul in the second reading. Yes, love is everything and it changes everything. Let our love for one another become a testimony in today’s world.

Amen