Gospel Reflection Sunday 26th January 2025 | 3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time

With Fr Brian Maher OMI

 Gospel Reflection Sunday 26th January 2025 | 3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time | Luke 1:1-4,4:14-21

So much happens in such a short time that we might be forgiven for sitting blandly in our pews, listening to the individual Gospels each Sunday but letting the significance of the overall story wash over us. The events of Holy Week, climaxing on Easter Sunday morning with the Resurrection of Jesus from the dead only make sense in light of all that went before it. The Cross of Jesus is no more that a tragic accident, or a foolish act of self-sacrifice unless we have been with Jesus on the mountain of his Transfiguration, listened to him talk to his disciples about the Kingdom of God, and watched his growing awareness that he himself was the Messiah and that he did not just speak about the Kingdom of God, but that he was the Kingdom of God coming into our world.

The Gospels each week are not just distinct, separate stories chosen at random. They link with one another, each one adding to the last, guiding us, just as Jesus guided his first disciples, to the moment of the Resurrection when the Kingdom of God was established on Earth. Now the Kingdom of God grows like the tiny mustard seed, waiting to be fully realised and made visible by us, his followers.

Each week the Gospel reading adds another piece to the overall journey we are on with Jesus. Let me suggest one way we might keep track of this journey: Open a new Word document on your PC, laptop, tablet or even your phone (if technology frightens you, then just find a small notebook or a few sheets of blank paper); label it ‘Gospel Story 2025 – Luke’ (I add Luke, because this year it is mainly Luke’s Gospel that we follow); each Sunday, when you get home from Church, write the date and, on a separate line each time, write the story from the Gospel we heard, eg. ‘January 19^th 2025, The Wedding at Cana. Jesus’ first miracle.’; then, again on a new line, write just one sentence, saying what struck you about the person of Jesus in the story – just one sentence, no more, and not about the story itself but about the person of Jesus you saw/heard/met in the story.

As the year goes on, I guarantee that when you look back on what you have written you will spot the movement of the story towards the Resurrection and beyond. You might also be surprised by the insights you get into the person of Jesus himself. If we truly believe that the Gospel is “the word of the Lord”, as we say each week, then we believe that ‘the Lord’ can speak to us through what we read or hear.

The Old Testament and New Testament is full of people saying, “The Lord spoke to me saying….” or “…thus says the Lord…” Has God stopped talking to his people in our day? I don’t believe so. But maybe we have become too sophisticated; too reliant on Google, Alexa or Siri to hear what he is saying to us. Instead of saying, “Alexa, tell me what’s in my diary for tomorrow.” or “Copilot, write the message of this reading for me…”, we might say “Lord, your servant is listening, speak to me….” and then close our eyes for a few quiet minutes and listen with our hearts.

The Gospel story this week has two, quite distinct parts, separated by three chapters in the Gospel itself.

The first short section gives us Luke’s reason for writing his Gospel and it is addressed to a man named ‘Theophilis’. If we wanted to remain in Hercule Poirot mode from last week, we could look for clues as to who this man ‘Theophilis’ was. However, it’s not really important, and in any case he is only named by Luke at the start of his Gospel and the start of the Acts of the Apostles, which he also wrote.

Interestingly, it is a Greek name, meaning ‘friend of God’. This has led some scholars to suggest that Theophilis was not a real person at all, but that Luke, used the name to dedicate his Gospel and book of Acts to ‘friends of God.’ Personally, I doubt that. The way he addresses Theophilis sounds like he is talking to friend.

There is, however, quite a lot we can deduce from the few sentences Luke wrotes: a) it is a Greek name so Theophilis was probably not Jewish by birth. b) It is also likely that he had not been to the places Jesus lived and worked. c) Luke refers to him by the title ‘your Excellency’ an honorary title given to reasonably high-up Roman officials. d) it would seem that Theophilis had already become Christian, or was preparing to do so. (Luke talks about “…the teaching you have received.”)

It is evident that Theophilis had questions about what he was taught, and wondered if what he was told was true. After all, believing that Jesus was the Messiah; that he rose from the dead; and that he was God was asking a lot, particularly since the followers of Jesus were still small in number and openly persecuted by Rome, and with a growing rift opening between Christians and Jews.

What Luke is doing here is saying to Theophilis, “Everything you were taught about Jesus is true. It comes from eyewitnesses who were there and whose words were written down. I have checked out all of this myself, and I can confirm that it is all true. I will now write for you a full account of everything I have verified about Jesus, and you can see that what you learned is founded on truth.”

Clearly Theophilis trusted Luke so the account he read (the Gospel of Luke) would have reassured him in his faith. If he wasn’t already baptised I’m sure he found peace in what Luke said and joyfully joined the small but growing followers of Jesus.

What about us? Today we read the same words that Luke wrote to Theophilis – that the Gospel is based on eyewitnesses who can be trusted, and that what was written down is true.

Are we reassured by Luke’s words? Do we find peace in what he says?

…Or maybe we need to ask an even more basic question: “Do we believe it? Truly believe it? That Jesus rose from the dead? That he still lives within us through his Spirit?

…But the crucial question is this: Do we believe enough to let the message of Jesus change the way we act, and speak and think? In the letter of St. James, he warns the community of Christian to whom he is writing: “In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.” The message of Jesus is counter cultural. It challenges many of the values and attitudes held by our societies. As a result, being true to the message of Jesus will at times be challenging and uncomfortable.

These are real questions for us, just as they were for Luke and Theophilis. If we are to be authentic followers of Jesus we must answer them, not just in speech, but in actions.

All four Gospels recount the Baptism of Jesus, and all agree that it was the beginning of his own public ministry. Following his baptism the Gospels need to find a story or memory or miracle which dramatically launches him into the public eye. We saw last week that John uses the miracle of changing water into wine at the wedding in Cana to do this. Today, we see the story chosen by Luke to achieve the same effect.

Luke begins the mission of Jesus by recounting the story of his return to Nazareth, his hometown, to preach in the synagogue there. It is an important story for two reasons. Firstly, it outlines for us the central theme of his mission, which is clear even as he begins his work. Secondly, Even as he begins we witness the first signs of opposition to his message. It is an opposition we will see grow, leading finally to his death.

Our Gospel today only gives us part one; we might call it his manifesto for the years ahead. The opposition that comes immediately after this is left for another time. However, it is worth reading in its complete form, since Luke clearly wants us to see both his programme for the future and the immediate opposition he faces.

We learn a few important things about Jesus from this story. One of them is obvious but no less important. Jesus was born, lived and died a believing and practising Jew. The stories Mary and Joseph told him as a child were the stories of Moses, of David and Goliah, of King Solomon building the great Temple in Jerusalem, of Abraham and Noah and Joseph. Like all of us he would probably  have drawn his childlike depictions of these stories. Mary and Joseph did not have a fridge on which to stick them but I’m sure they were proud of his efforts and told him so. They would have told him of the promised Messiah, the leader who would come with God to vindicate his chosen people and usher-in the Kingdom of God. Jesus would not, at that time, have realised the part he was to play in this story.

When Jesus returned to Nazareth as an adult and went into the Temple, as we are told he did every Sabbath, he did so as a committed Jew who accepted the Law of Moses and waited, with all his people, for the coming of the Messiah to free them from the hated Romans.

It is important, I think, to properly understand that Jesus lived and died a Jew. On the morning of his Resurrection Mary Magdalene was going to the tomb of Jesus to fulfil for him the Jewish rites of burial. It is important for us to accept this about Jesus simply because still in our world the scourge of antisemitism is all too visible. The God Jesus learned about and worshipped was the God of the Old Testament. The God we worship is the same God. Jesus the human being, who lived and died a Jew, must shed tears of terrible sadness when he sees the way some of his own followers treat the people of his birth.

When he went into the synagogue it was the Prophet Isaiah he chose to read from. What he read was a piece about God’s choice of the poor and excluded to be the ones he comes to be with – the ones who receive the Good News that God is with them.

Even at the start of Jesus’ ministry, his way forward was clear. He would champion the poor, the sinners, the prostitutes and tax collectors, those with leprosy and those shunned by others. It is surely important for us to note that in the years ahead, despite criticism, intimidation, threats and finally death, he never for a moment deviated from the message he taught on that Sabbath in Nazareth.

This, too, is our call; it is the call to authenticity; the call to think before we speak and when we do speak to match our words with actions. In Jesus there is no shadow of falseness, no hint of pride or conceit. Jesus shows us what it is like to be fully human; to be the people God created us to be.

The Kingdom of God will be complete, and Jesus’ mission finally accomplished when all people have become the people we were created to be.

St Paul ended his first letter to the Corinthians with the ancient Aramaic word, “Maranatha” It is also the most wonderful prayer and a good way to end this reflection.

Maranatha – it means “Come, Lord Jesus.”

Many thanks,

Brian.

If you have any thoughts or comments that you would like to share with me on this reflection, please send me an email: b.maher@oblates.co.uk 

‘This text is being fulfilled today even as you listen’