The Gospel for this Third Sunday after Epiphany is Luke 4:16-30. The passage is set early in our Lord's public ministry when He returns to Nazareth after initial work in Capernaum. This account shows several points. We are reminded that attendance at synagogue worship was a Sabbath practice for Jesus. We also see a sample of His teaching. Jesus applies the prophet Isaiah's words about the messianic Servant to Himself and His work. On a superficial level, the local crowd admires Him, but when Jesus starts hinting at a wider mission, especially one involving Gentiles, the crowd turns angry and threatening.
Thus, the Nazareth crowd recognizes Jesus as a teacher, but they do not accept what He teaches. The crowd quickly moves from familiarity to resistance and then to open hostility. This sort of dynamic still occurs in reactions to Jesus and His message. Many people give Jesus Christ superficial praise without accepting Him or His teachings. Some people minimize His importance, and then they move on to resistance, especially to His message of divine redemption offered to people of all times, places, and backgrounds.
The Epiphany season is a reminder that Christ's Gospel can be a challenge. Jesus asks for more than politeness. He points out that all humans are sinners who need to repent and accept His gracious redemption which is offered to all kinds of people, The good news is not just for certain kinds of favored people. It is for people of any background who hear the Gospel and who, through grace, repent and respond with faith in Jesus Christ. May we be people who respond with such faith, and may we be people who share the message with others!
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