THIRD SUNDAY OF ORDINARY TIME
(Nehemiah 8:2-4.5-6.8-10; I Corinthians12:12-14.27; Luke
1:1-4.4:14-21)
We have been reading from the Gospel according to St. Luke
on Sundays for almost two months. Today we receive an introduction to the work.
It comes in two forms. First, there is the prologue that Luke himself wrote for
his readers. Second, Jesus reveals the program of his ministry as a kind of
inaugural address. By reflecting well on these passages, we will better understand
most of the Sunday gospels until December.
We know nothing for certain about the author. He never
identifies himself in this work or in the Acts of the Apostles that he wrote as
a sequel. We call him “Luke” because of references to the gospel at the end of
the second century. His name does not really matter. What matters to us is that
in the prologue the evangelist explains his motive for writing the gospel and
his methods of doing so.
Evidently, there were many sayings of Jesus, stories of his
works, even accounts of his life as Luke prepared to write the gospel. However,
nothing was complete nor well expressed. Thus, he says in the prologue that he
wants to produce an orderly account of Jesus’ life from the announcement
of his coming to his return to the Father in heaven.
Luke calls his reader “Theophilus,” but who this is is not
known either. Indeed, it could be all people of good will since the Greek name
means “lover of God.” Whether for him or them, Luke says that he has researched
the relevant documents and conducted interviews with eyewitnesses to produce
his account.
We meet Jesus in the gospel today in Galilee, the territory
of his upbringing. He is there not simply of his own free will but “impelled by
the Holy Spirit.” Luke emphasizes the Holy Spirit both in the Acts of the
Apostles and in the gospel by describing him as the animator of much of the
action. In Galilee, according to the passage, Jesus has had great success as a
teacher.
Luke goes on to relate what happens when Jesus arrives in
Nazareth. It is Saturday, and like all observant Jews Jesus goes to the
synagogue. There he is handed a scroll of Scripture as would be done to any
teacher at the time. He then reads from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah. These
are the first words Jesus speaks as an adult in the gospel.
The reading proclaims that the prophet himself has been
anointed by the Holy Spirit. This is no small claim. He is testifying that he
is the long-awaited Messiah of God who will bring glory to Israel while
enlightening the nations with the ways of the Lord. Commissioned by the Spirit,
he is mandated to announce good news to the poor, give sight to the blind and
freedom to the captives, and proclaim a year of favor to the world. One can
interpret this agenda for our time as follows. The anointed one will raise the
hopes of those who are deprived of material resources. In addition, he will
open the eyes of those who do not see God as their Father nor other people as
their brothers and sisters. Also, he will free those held captive by drugs,
alcohol, sex, and other false friends. Lastly, but also importantly, he will
tell everyone of God's favor toward them.
Once the reading is over, Jesus speaks revealing words of
his own. He says, “Today this passage has been fulfilled…” He is declaring two
things of immense importance. First, he identifies himself as the Messiah who
has finally come to fulfill the hopes of the poor and the weak. Second, he will
do so “today”—not tomorrow nor yesterday but “today.” Men and women of good
will want to sit up to listen carefully. The king has come not to oppress them
but to fulfill their noblest desires. They must now do, as Mary said in last
Sunday’s gospel, “whatever he tells you.”
