Today This Scripture Is Fulfilled As You Listen!

 (Homily 3^rd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Yr. C)

Sunday of The Word of God

         The Word of God more than anything else forms the central theme of today’s message, for in both the first reading and the Gospel passages we see the primacy of God’s word in the assembly of God’s people. In the first reading, Ezra the priest read the law, which is the Torah, the first five books of the Old Testament to the Jews in Jerusalem, while in the Gospel Jesus read the Scriptures in the Synagogue in Nazareth. The two aforementioned readings dealt extensively on the reading or rather the proclamation of God’s word. Therefore the word of God proclaimed in different circumstances and contexts is the pivot around which the readings and the message of today revolve. In the third century, Origen expressed the importance of God’s word thus:

You receive the body of the Lord with special care and reverence lest the smallest crumb of the consecrated gift fall to the floor. You should receive the word of God with equal care and reverence lest the smallest word of it fall to the floor and be lost.

The Word of God is read to nourish our mind and heart, so that it will produce positive effects in our life. However, the decorum accorded to the word of God devoid of an obedient listening to the same word would be a sort of incoherence, for what is heard does not produce effect in the life of the listeners. Little wonder, St. Paul in the second reading emphasizes on the need of proclaiming the word of God with our different charisms, as members of Christ’s body the Church. And above all, St. John in the responsorial psalm captured eloquently the pneumatological and existential dimensions of the Word thus: “You words, O Lord, are Spirit and life” (Jn. 6:63).

     In first reading (Neh. 8:2-4.5-6.8-10) Ezra read the law to the people convoked by God. When the word was proclaimed from the pulpit by Ezra, the Levites interpreted the passages one after the other, so that all may understand fully the meaning. The assembly in their turn participated actively, they stand, they kneel, they prostrate on the ground, and they expressed their adhesion to the word they heard by repeating: “Amen! Amen!” When the people in the first reading heard the word they lifted up their hands, bowed their heads and worshiped the Lord, with their faces to the ground. Some say that the people were crying when they were listening to the word of God. They were moved upon recognizing what God has done in and for them. They cried and repented for their sins, because the word they heard judged them, it pierced their hearts. And after this encounter they left the ground full of joy; “do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength” (Neh. 8:10). The word heard produced the fruit of repentance and joy.

     Though the purpose of the choice of this particular reading today is not clear, but from all indications, probably it could have been chosen to create a parallel between Ezra’s reading of the law and Jesus’ reading of the prophecy of Isaiah (61) in the synagogue. However, this passage is a sort of a model of synagogue worship, for therein we have: the reading of the Torah, the people standing, kneeling and the explanation of the passage. We equally find this same liturgical order in the synagogue at Nazareth, even till today in our liturgy of the Word, the people stand at the proclamation of the Gospel, just as the Jews stood for the Torah.

       The Gospel (Lk. 1:1-4; 4:14-21) periscope of today could be divided in two parts or paragraphs. The first part is the prologue, and as a matter of fact, the placement of this prologue before Jesus’ reading in the synagogue is not very clear. In the whole of the synoptic Gospel, it is only here that the evangelist addressed the reader in his name, Theophilus. His work is addressed to an individual unlike other synoptic Gospels. Through the prologue Luke assures Theophilus of the solidity and the authenticity of the Christian message, for it was delivered through eye witnesses and ministers of the Word. The prologue in question reveals some vital facts about the evangelist. The second part gives evidence to what could be called the first outing of Jesus in his home land where he grew up. And we would like to pay more attention to this second part. It is the episode in the synagogue where Jesus read the passage of the prophecy of Isaiah. Through this narrative St. Luke intends to emphasize that the whole ministry of Jesus was inspired by the Holy Spirit. St. Luke in his Gospel situates this at the beginning of Jesus ministry. His ministry and work will consist of preaching, deliverance of the oppressed and the performance of healing.

     In this passage St. Luke presents Jesus who goes to the Synagogue on a Sabbath, “as was his custom”, and as every pious Jew does, to listen to the Word of God and the corresponding comments of the Rabbi. St. Luke described this event with precision and particularities, to the point that the reader may have the sensation of witnessing the whole thing at first hand. Jesus is at the center of the episode. In the words of St. Luke, “Jesus, with the power of the Spirit in him, returned to Galilee; and his reputation spread throughout the countryside” (v.14). So, as we can see, prior to the arrival of Jesus to the Synagogue the news about him has gone round. Little wonder, they readily handed him the Scroll to read, probably to see if actually he can read, a carpenter’s son or to confirm if what they have been hearing about him is true.  And when he opened the book of Isaiah that was given him, he found where it was written: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, for he has anointed me to bring good news to the afflicted. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives, sight to the blind, to set at liberty those that are oppressed, to proclaim a year of favor from the Lord” (vv.18-19). With these words Jesus sheds light on his mission. He came to liberate man from all that stand as obstacle to his well-being and to his self-realization as a child of God. God is at the side of the poor, he is at the side of the marginalized, God is at the side of life!

      In this episode there are two important elements that are replete with meaning: Spirit and Freedom. The Spirit: in the Old Testament the Spirit or the presence of God is the liberating force for the people of God. The Spirit leads to a future of freedom and justice (cf. Is. 11, 1-2; Is. 61:1-2; Ex. 37:6). It is in this sense and context that the words from the quotation of Isaiah acquire their dense meaning. Freedom: “wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty” (2Cor. 3:17), the Spirit offers freedom, and this freedom is basically for the poor, prisoners, oppressed and the blind. Indeed, in these four forms of necessity, the misery of man on earth is condensed. There are those who suffer for a biological/physical defects (the blind), those who suffer for the wickedness of others (the oppressed and prisoners), those that are victims of a social disorder and lack of economic needs (the poor), and caught up in these miseries the Spirit comes to make things anew, and indeed, to announce a Year of Grace. The year of Grace that Jesus inaugurates is a time of manifestation of God’s love, forgiveness, mercy, peace and reconciliation.

    Once again we remember the reaction of the listeners; Luke told us that the eyes of all in the Synagogue were fixed on him. And this brings us closer to the person of Jesus, his power of attraction and the power in his words. A similar thing that happened in the first reading, there, upon hearing the word of God the people grieved for their sins and repented. There, we see the power of attraction of God’s word. But this power of attraction does not permit us to remain at the level of admirers, but to shift from our position and become imitators of Him and His word. Unlike the listeners of Jesus in today’s Gospel who fixed their eyes on Him in admiration and later on attempted an attack on him, for immediately after this episode in Luke 4: 23-30, we see the rejection by his people, of the same people that admired Him in the synagogue. Later they were filled with anger against Him. Indeed, the Word of God does not leave us undetermined or indifferent; it calls us to take a position, for or against. It calls us to undergo the process of attraction-admiration and imitation.

     Behold, when he finished reading the passage “All eyes in the synagogue were fixed on him” (v.20). There is a sense of general expectation; it does appear they were all waiting to hear his comment on the Word of God. “Then he began to speak to them, “This text is being fulfilled today even while you are listening” (v.21). With this solemn declaration Jesus announces that the time of expectation has passed, here and now is the time of fulfillment. Jesus is good news personified, in Him, now the afflicted, the poor and the hungry are fortunate, they are blessed because for them the Kingdom of God has appeared. The message of Joy that Jesus brought is healing and liberation, freedom and grace, and the poor and the afflicted are the recipients. And at last, we see the hit track of the message of Jesus: “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing”. That today the prophecy of old has become reality. The fulfillment of the Scripture in the life of His listeners is the most captivating good news of Today. So, we ought to ask ourselves today, has His word been fulfilled in our lives? In the third Gospel, the word “Today” is so dear to the Jesus of Luke, for God in his saving power acts in the here and now. At the house of Zacchaeus Jesus said “Today salvation has come to this house” (Lk. 19:9). To the repentant thief he said “Today you will be with me in paradise” (Lk. 23:43). This reveals the extraordinary nature of the power bestowed on Him by the Spirit (Ruah Adonai).

     In the Second reading (1Cor. 12:12-31) St. Paul maintains that the Holy Spirit that descended on Jesus, the Spirit that consecrated him for the messianic work of salvation, also works in the Church and in a particular way the same Spirit works in each one of us. For this he affirmed that, “We were baptized into one body in a single Spirit, Jews as well as Greeks, slaves as well as free men, and we were all given the same Spirit to drink” (v.13). Afterwards, he said: “now Christ’s body is yourselves, each of you with a part to play in the whole” (v.27). It is therefore evident, that if we are the body of Christ, it is through us and with us that He carries on his mission of liberation of man, his “today” of redemption continues not only in and through Him, but by extension with and through us. And upon proper reflection we can infer two conclusions: ●First, we are a Christian community in the measure we work towards the realization “today” of the promises of God, which revolve around liberation from sin, but also of the poor that will be liberated and the hungry that will fed. Therefore, the mission of Jesus, of the church and of each and every one of us, is not only about the proclamation of God, but an eloquent proclamation of a God who favors fraternity, attention to the poor, justice and solidarity among men. ●Second, St. Paul compares the Church to a body, as a body it has unity in the plurality of the members; each member has its function for the good of all the body. In the same vein, the church possesses unity deriving from the same Holy Spirit, which has been given to us.

     Beloved in Christ, let us make haste to read and listen to His words every day, for “faith comes through hearing, and hearing is through the Word of Christ” (Rm. 10:17).  May the words of Jesus, “Today this scripture is fulfilled as you listen” continue to resound and re-echo on and on in our different life situations. May this prophecy, may His words be fulfilled in our lives every day! May the word of God become flesh in us!! Amen!!!

(Fr. Vitus M.C. Unegbu, SC)