Aquinas’ Advice Concerning Study

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(Completed) My Notes On Today’s Gospel (January 31, 2010)p

Readers of this post may be interested in another post on this site: Resources For Sunday Mass, January 31.

This post contains background and context for today’s Gospel reading, along with a few notes.  Please pay attention to the color coded words in paragraph’s 1, 3 and 4 as they help to establish a connection between today’s reading and previous parts of Luke.  The Scripture quotations are taken from the RSV.

Background/Context: The broader background/context for this passage is two-fold: first is the so-called infancy narrative (1:5-2:52), which situated our Blessed Lord’s divine identity within the context of his human origins and relationships.  The second consists of 3:1-4:13, which might be called “The Preparation Narrative.”   In this section Jesus’ mission is (a) set within the context of the prophetic history of the past and of his own day [3:1-22, John’s prophetic ministry fulfilling older prophecies]; (b) within the context of human history [3:23-38, the genealogy going back through Adam to God]; and (c) within the context of Israel’s battle against evil (4:1-13).

There is also, of course, a more immediate context to today’s reading, 4:1-21, which was the Gospel reading for last week’s Mass.  Note that last week’s reading ended where this week’s begins: at 4:21.

Last week’s reading, like the infancy narrative, set our Lord’s mission in the context of his human relations-His hometown and the synagogue where he was accustomed to worship.  However, the text ended (vs 21) within the context of past and present prophetic history. “Today” Jesus fulfills ancient prophecy.

This weeks reading (4:21-30) begins in the context of past and present prophetic history and relates it to the context of human history.  Luke has traced the genealogy of  our Lord back to Adam, therefore we should not be surprised to find him appealing to God’s care for people outside the confines of the Jewish race.  The reaction of our Blessed Lord’s fellow townspeople highlights the need of a savior, and the dangers of assumptions and complacency regarding the will and word of God.

Notes:

4:21.  And he began to say to them, “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”

The phrase “he began to say” implies that he was unable to finish speaking to them because he was interrupted.  Indeed, the next 2 verses imply that the people were more intent on speculation and wonder regarding him than on his actual teaching.  Earlier in the narrative people came to John the Baptist-apparently on their own terms-and received a stinging rebuke: “Brood of vipers! who has shown you how to flee from the coming wrath?” (3:7).

There is a temptation among some who read Luke’s Gospel to merely see “Gentle Jesus, meek and mild,” but this-Luke’s  programmatic first episode in the Lord’s public ministry-should disabuse people of that notion.  True, our Lord does leave out the reference to “the day of vengeance of our God” from his quotation of Isaiah 61:1-2, but this is only because mercy and vengeance belong to two different time periods.  There is a time of mercy, an invitation from our God to respond to his will and word with repentance, but there is also a time  of vengeance which demands that we not treat his mercy in a fast and loose manner: “but unless you repent you will all likewise perish” (Lk 13:3.  See also 10:8-16).  We must look at “Today” Jesus speaks of (vs 21) as the day of our visitation (see Lk 19:41-44).

4:22  Is not this Joseph’s son?

We who have read the previous three chapters know the answer to this question.  Luke has already indicated that Jesus’ ministry is already well known (4:14-15), and will indicate in verse 23 that the activity of Jesus was certainly not unknown to his fellow townspeople.  They should have been prepared to break out of the narrow confines of their own assumptions…so too must we.

4:23 And he said to them, “Doubtless you will quote to me this proverb, `Physician, heal yourself; what we have heard you did at Capernaum, do here also in your own country.'”

The proverb mentioned is found in various forms in both Jewish and Greek literature.  Today it is often used in response to someone who is being hypocritical, but its usage in this passage is different.  “Physician, heal yourself” stands in parallel with “what…you did at Capernuam,do also here in  your own country.”  They seem to think that their relationship with Jesus means they have a greater claim on him and, consequently, that he has a greater obligation towards them.  “(C)ure Thine own people and Thine own country, which should be as dear to Thee as Thyself; cure Thy fellow Nazarenes, as Thou hast cured the Capernamites” (Cornelius a Lapide).  The irony is that the obligation they attempt to lay upon Jesus on the basis of their relationship…this obligation they are unwilling to lay upon themselves, as the ending of the reading makes clear.  Do unto others, as you would have them do to you.  Do not demand from others what you will not demand of yourself.

4:24 And he said, “Truly, I say to you, no prophet is acceptable in his own country.

Our Lord counters the perceived proverb of the previous verse with one of his own.  Note the irony.  Jesus came “to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord” (vs 19) but ends up finding no acceptance among his own.  This passage points back to the prophecy of Simeon: “Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is spoken against (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), that thoughts out of many hearts may be revealed” (Lk 2:34-35).  See also 11:49-50 and 13:33.

4:25-27  But in truth, I tell you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, when there came a great famine over all the land; and Elijah was sent to none of them but only to Zarephath, in the land of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow.  And there were many lepers in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha; and none of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian.”

See 1 Kings 17 and 2 Kings 5:1-14

But in truth.  Emphasizes the validity of the comparison it introduces.

We first meet Elijah in 1 Kings 17 when he encounters a pagan widow who places faith in the words of the prophet, spoken in the name of “the Lord, the God of Israel” (1 Kings 17:14).  She stands in marked contrast to most of the prophet’s own people who were worshiping Baal, and who needed to see a miracle in order to return to their God (1 Kings 18).  But even with this it seems their return was short lived (1 Kings 19:1-10).

4:28-30 When they heard this, all in the synagogue were filled with wrath.  And they rose up and put him out of the city, and led him to the brow of the hill on which their city was built, that they might throw him down headlong. But passing through the midst of them he went away.

The eyes of all in the synagogue had been on Jesus (vs 20), and all had spoken well of Him (vs 22), now all are filled with wrath and seek to kill him.  Thus at the very beginning of his narration of our Lord’s public ministry, Luke foreshadows His passion and resurrection.

And they rose up and put him out of the city, and led him to the brow of the hill on which their city was built, that they might throw him down headlong.

Contrasts with the “heal thyself” proverb and emphasizes the proverb about a prophet being unacceptable among his own.  As noted earlier, this relates to the theme of Simeon’s prophecy; likewise, it prepares for Our Lord’s teaching about what his followers will encounter: Do you think that I have come to give peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division; for henceforth in one house there will be five divided, three against two and two against three;  they will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against her mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.” (Lk 12:51-53)

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