Are you listening?
September 2, 2020
It struck me as I read reflections on Sunday’s gospel that it marks a new beginning. We have left the gospel and witness of Matthew and now enter the world of Luke. Welcome to the Gospel of Luke! We go back in time, to the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry. He returns to his hometown and begins to preach and teach. Jesus’ neighbors struggle to understand how the young man whom they thought they knew, the son of a simple carpenter, could be the Messiah.
The people are not ready to hear about a Messiah who comes to “Bring glad tidings to the poor, liberty to captives, sight to the blind, let the oppressed go free, and proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord.” Luke 4:18-19. The Reign of God has begun. But the people could not see Jesus for who he was.
In today’s times, we often pre-judge or put people into stereotypical boxes and don’t see their unique gifts. We remember friends as they used to be, and don’t let them grow or change. While the people of Jesus’ time were not ready to see Christ for who He was, we can keep our eyes and hearts ready for the signs and messengers of the reign of God.
