Breaking the Word

4^th Week in Ord. Time, Monday – 31^st January 2022 — Gospel: Mark 5,1-20

Proclaiming with Joy

In the healing of the Gerasene demoniac, Jesus casts out the devils and sends them into a herd of swine. The presence of pigs suggests that it is a Gentile territory, because Jews considered pigs as unclean animals, and would not have them nearby.  Some have raised questions about the destruction of nature because the herd of pigs are drowned after the demon is sent into them. However, it should be interpreted as the extent of concern Jesus had for the man. The salvation of a human being is worth any price.

The possessed man had an intimate encounter with God’s mercy. His running to and prostrating himself before Jesus was an act of repentance. After Jesus forgave and freed him from the oppression of the demons, he wanted to follow Jesus. Instead, Jesus sent him on a mission to share Christ’s mercy with his loved ones and community. His exile was ended, and his life was restored. Therefore, Jesus directed him to others, in order to proclaim the Gospel of Christ’s mission of mercy to the Gentiles in the centre of Greco-Roman culture, the Decapolis. Imagine the joy and hope in this man’s words and how compelling his story was based on his healing and restoration. Now the healed man becomes an apostle.

4^th Sunday in Ord. Time – 30^th January 2022 — Gospel: Luke 4,21-30

Paradigm of the Prophet

Jesus publicly announces that the Isaiah prophecy (Is 61,1-2; 58,6) is being fulfilled in his deeds, teachings, and ministry. In addition to teacher and interpreter, Luke presents Jesus as a prophetic figure, who follows the traditions of the prophets. The prophetic theme is prominent in the Gospel of Luke (Lk 7,16; 7,39; 13,31-33; 24,19).  In the synagogue, Jesus becomes a prophetic model for how to read and interpret Scripture in order to communicate the revelations of God. Thus, in Lk 4,21, Jesus takes the next step beyond simply quoting and reading the Isaiah scroll. He interprets the prophecy toward Himself. He connects what he reads to the current context of the community. As He interprets the meaning and significance of the Isaiah prophecy, He sits among them and entertains the questions that follow. In the first place, Jesus evinces the prophetic model for reading and interpreting Scripture in the community and with the community.

The response to prophetic messengers in Luke is mixed. At times, they are welcomed and affirmed. Other times, they meet resistance. After Jesus read and interpreted the prophecy as fulfilled, his listeners approved his message and wanted to understand more about it and him. They are astonished by it, “All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth.” Immediately following this affirmation, a question arises, “Is not this Joseph’s son?” Gossip of people and their impending character attack is not concerned about what Jesus says, but who Jesus is. As the son of a modest artisan, Jesus should not be teaching with such prophetic authority, honour and influence.

What changed between verses 22 and 28, prompting the shift from amazement to anger? Before Jesus cites his two prophetic instances in the stories of Elijah and Elisha, Jesus showed his prophetic and messianic deeds of power and blessings. But here, the offense sparks rage and violence, because Jesus refuses to act on prophetic authority and power in his hometown. Disclosure and recognition of his prophetic nature, involves identifying the continuities and balances between what God is doing and what God already accomplished through earlier prophets. However, Jesus recognized God’s saving power at work through Him and among His townspeople because He knew the words and stories of Isaiah, Elijah, and Elisha to the point that he rehearsed it unprovoked.

Today’s Gospel invites us to follow Jesus’ example and to rehearse the prophetic roles in our cultures and traditions, like Fr.Stan Swamy, Sr.Sahaya Mary, who extend Jesus’ liberating message of freedom to the poor, imprisoned, oppressed, marginalized and disinherited (4,18-19).