When Jesus came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, he went to the synagogue on the sabbath day, as was his custom. He stood up to read, and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written:

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
     because he has anointed me
         to bring good news to the poor.
 He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives
     and recovery of sight to the blind,
         to let the oppressed go free,
 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

And he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. Then he began to say to them, “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth. They said, “Is not this Joseph’s son?” He said to them, “Doubtless you will quote to me this proverb, ‘Doctor, cure yourself!’ And you will say, ‘Do here also in your hometown the things that we have heard you did at Capernaum.’” And he said, “Truly I tell you, no prophet is accepted in the prophet’s hometown. But the truth is, there were many widows in Israel in the time of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, and there was a severe famine over all the land; yet Elijah was sent to none of them except to a widow at Zarephath in Sidon. There were also many lepers in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha, and none of them was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian.” 

When they heard this, all in the synagogue were filled with rage. They got up, drove him out of the town, and led him to the brow of the hill on which their town was built, so that they might hurl him off the cliff. But he passed through the midst of them and went on his way.

New Revised Standard Version, copyright 1989, by the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved. USCCB approved.

Jesus has a close escape in today’s Gospel. On the Sabbath, he reads from the scroll and announces that he is the fulfillment of the prophecy. The first reaction is approval, then slowly they realize he’s just Joseph’s son. They eventually become angry and try to throw him off a cliff. Thankfully, Jesus eludes them.

We still see this happen. We hear a leader defend a marginalized population, and we may be shocked to see opposition to such a Christ-like endeavor. We sometimes even look for loopholes to evade our call. Myself, I am suspicious when the call comes from a person I disagree with, politically. Then I realize I’ve caught myself marginalizing someone.

This passage calls us to greater humility in living our faith. What keeps me from following Jesus more closely? What attachments must I release to serve more completely? Who could I try to love more? 

—Patrice Critchley-Menor has been involved in Catholic social justice ministries for many years. She writes on living Catholic social teaching at Catholic in the 218. She and her husband, Dan have five adult children and live in Duluth, Minnesota. 

Lord, sometimes you call us in unexpected ways, or through unexpected people. Help us to put aside our preconceived notions so that we can hear your call, set aside what keeps us from responding, and follow you. Amen.

—Jesuit Prayer team