by Fr. Tommy Lane
We might think that when someone is called by God it is going to be all roses in the garden. That is not what the prophet Jeremiah experienced in our first reading (Jer 1). We heard part of an account of him receiving his vocation from God. While still in his mother’s womb he was chosen and set apart by God for his mission. When Jeremiah received his mission, he was told God would make him “a fortified city, a pillar of iron, a wall of brass, against the whole land.” (Jer 1:18) Already that is a warning that Jeremiah will be up against major opposition but then the Lord became more explicit, “they will fight against you” but also promised, “[they] will not prevail over you, for I am with you to deliver you.” (Jer 1:19) So, when Jeremiah was called by God, he was told at the same time that his mission would not be easy and that “the whole land” would be against him.
The Lord’s warning about opposition turned out to be very accurate. People plotted against Jeremiah behind his back and taunted him. Jeremiah urged Jerusalem to submit to its enemy Babylon threatening to attack or otherwise the city would be destroyed (Jer 27). A false prophet contradicted Jeremiah (Jer 28). Jeremiah was put in prison (Jer 32:2-3) where he remained until the city was captured and then he was released. Some Jewish people outside the city asked Jeremiah where they should go, and he got his answer from God: they had nothing to fear from the king of Babylon and should remain where they were (Jer 42). What did they do? Instead, they went down to Egypt and Jeremiah felt he should accompany them where he remained with them until he died in exile in Egypt (Jer 43). The Lord’s warning of hardship to him when he called him proved true.
It was no better for Jesus, and we begin to see the opposition to him in today’s Gospel (Luke 4:21-30) which continues last Sunday’s account of Jesus in the synagogue at Nazareth. Jesus referred to the miracles he had worked in Capernaum, and it is obvious Jesus did not work miracles in Nazareth. Matthew and Mark, in their accounts of Jesus’ visit to Nazareth, say that Jesus could not work miracles there because of their lack of faith (Matt 13:58; Mark 6:6). As if that was not enough, the townspeople tried to throw Jesus down a cliff when he recounted to them God blessing people outside their country (Luke 4:29). Such opposition to Jesus continued throughout his ministry culminating in Jesus’ arrest, trials, and execution.
It is obvious that what is in common between the first reading and Gospel is opposition to the word of God. Jeremiah experienced opposition as did Jesus and we might ask, “What does that have to do with us?” We are not opposed to the word of God. The real test is when some difficulty or cross or trial comes our way. In such a time, can we continue steadfast in our faith in Jesus, or do we waver? Trusting in God, trusting in Our Lady’s intercession for us, especially during the difficult times, is what helps us advance on the road to God.
Even during the good times, we might be tempted to deny some demanding aspect of living our faith and we might try to rationalize it away by making up excuses. Denial and rationalization by making up excuses are common ways of dealing with reality when it doesn’t suit us. When Jeremiah said the Lord’s word was that Jerusalem should surrender to Babylon to spare the city, they did not and we can imagine they came up with all sorts of denials and excuses to disobey God’s word: God would protect the city, God’s temple was in the city, God was dwelling in the city (Jer 7:4). They even put Jeremiah down into a muddy well for a while as a punishment for what he had said (Jer 38). Jesus was crucified because of rationalization: the high priest said it was better for one man to die for the people than the whole nation to perish (John 11:50).
Instead of denial and excuses, trusting in God’s word is obviously the best response. If the people of Jerusalem had trusted in God’s word through Jeremiah, the city would still have ended up being taken by the Babylonians, but it would not have been destroyed and many lives would have been spared. I think the question for us is what denials and excuses, if any, are we engaging in and can we trust more in the word of God. To grow spiritually means to grow from denials and excuses to trust more in God when crosses come our way or when we find some aspect of Christianity demanding. The beautiful description of love in our second reading (1 Cor 13:4-7) is, of course, describing human relations. But because of the first reading and Gospel today, could we not also ask ourselves do we love God’s word to us completely and truly even when demanding. Growing spiritually means growing from denials and excuses to the beautiful trust in God we heard at the end of the second reading today,
At present we see
indistinctly, as in a mirror,
but then [in the next life] face to
face.
At present I know partially;
then [in the next life] I
shall know fully, as I am fully known. (1 Cor 13:12)
© Fr. Tommy Lane 2022
This homily was delivered in a parish in Ireland.
More Homilies for the Fourth Sunday of Year C
Related Homilies: Today’s Gospel in the context of Luke 2007