Thursday after Epiphany
(I John 4:19-5:4; Luke 4:14-22)
Soon Donald Trump will become the forty-seventh president of
the United States. On Monday, January
20, he will take the oath of office and then give his inaugural address. In it
he will tell the world of his hopes and plans for the country during the next
four years. In today’s gospel Jesus has
just begun his public ministry. He
returns to Nazareth to give what amounts to an inaugural address.
By referring to himself as the prophet anointed by the
Spirit of God, Jesus is saying that he is Israel’s long-awaited Messiah. However, he is not going to do what most
people expect of a messiah. He will not raise an army to force Rome out of
Palestine. Nor will he sit on a throne
with servants waiting for his command.
Rather his messiahship will consist of raising the hearts of the poor
and giving sight to the literally and figuratively blind.
We have chosen to follow Christ, whom we accept as the
Messiah. To be faithful to our choice,
we should pursue the objectives he gives in the gospel. In place of always seeking comfort, we should
strive to comfort those who are dealing with great loss. Instead of pursuing upward mobility, we
should take time to help the lowly.
