Wednesday of the
Twenty-second Week in Ordinary Time
(Colossians 1:1-8; Luke 4:38-44)
The Gospel according to Luke presents Jesus in many
different ways. He is preeminently a man
of prayer. Who could argue that his most
moving parables are not found in the third gospel? In no other gospel is Jesus pictured as
reconciling people in so many situations.
It also may be said that in Luke’s gospel Jesus is peripatetic; that is,
he is always on the go.
Today’s gospel not only shows Jesus ready to hit the
road, it also gives the reason for his travelling. He says, “’…I must proclaim the good news of
the Kingdom of God, because for this purpose I have been sent.’” Jesus is so intent on moving from place to place
because his message is so vital. The “Kingdom
of God” is nothing less than God Himself.
Jesus is saying that now God is at hand in a way never seen before. Through Jesus God drives out demons, cures
illnesses, and reconciles enemies.
Surely today the same message needs to be preached. In many ways the world is losing its
moorings. Codifying “homosexual marriage”
in different jurisdictions is one of the latest and most serious manifestations
of this loss of control. We need God to
save us from our excesses and to lead us to genuine care for one another. And we are needed to follow Jesus in
proclaiming God to the world.
