Friday of the Twenty-sixth Week in Ordinary Time
(Baruch 1:15-22; Luke 10:13-16)
The last verse of today’s gospel sounds strange. When Jesus states, “’Who listens to you,
listens to me…’”, can he be talking to the towns of Chorazin, Bethsaida, and
Capernaum who all rejected him? Of course
not. That would be like making Judas
Iscariot a credible apostle.
In naming Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum Jesus is
speaking rhetorically to the towns that failed to heed his call to repentance. Reference to these places is part of his address
sending seventy-two disciples to preach the gospel. The first part of the discourse comprised
yesterday’s gospel. Today’s section
completes it.
Nevertheless, we should hear the discourse as both the
disciples being sent and as the towns being denounced. Jesus wants us to tell the world about the
Father’s love that has come primarily through him. He also wants to save us from thinking that
we don’t need him. Without Jesus God’s
love would seem fleeting and wanting. We
need Jesus to show us that God’s love is everlasting and efficacious.
