Luke 4:24-30

2 Kings 5:1-15ab

Psalm 42:2, 3; 43:3, 4

Luke 4:24-30

Jesus said to the people in the synagogue at Nazareth:

“Amen, I say to you,

no prophet is accepted in his own native place.

Indeed, I tell you, there were many widows in Israel

in the days of Elijah

when the sky was closed for three and a half years

and a severe famine spread over the entire land.

It was to none of these that Elijah was sent,

but only to a widow in Zarephath in the land of Sidon.

Again, there were many lepers in Israel

during the time of Elisha the prophet;

yet not one of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian.”

When the people in the synagogue heard this,

they were all filled with fury.

They rose up, drove him out of the town,

and led him to the brow of the hill

on which their town had been built,

to hurl him down headlong.

But he passed through the midst of them and went away.

Opening Prayer: Lord God, you are able to cleanse me and wash me clean. You are all-powerful and offer me the wondrous gift of forgiveness. Bestow your merciful love upon me and teach me to be merciful towards my brothers and sisters.

Encountering the Word of God

1. The Healing of Naaman the Syrian: Naaman’s cleansing in the Jordan River foreshadows the great mystery of the Apostles being sent out by Jesus to baptize the Gentiles. All nations are called to gather into God’s family, not through the circumcision of the flesh, but through faith in the one, true God and through the sacrament of Baptism. When Naaman is given instructions to wash in the Jordan River seven times, he displays his ignorance of the importance of the Jordan River and its place in salvation history. It was the river the people of Israel crossed over into the promised land of Canaan (Joshua 3:17), ending their 40-year exodus in the desert. It was the river that Elisha struck with the prophet Elijah’s cloak (1 Kings 2:13-14). It will be the river of John the Baptist’s ministry and where Jesus is proclaimed the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world (John 1:28-29). We learn from this that God’s action in history and in the Sacraments is both simple and profound. In the New Covenant, the simple action of immersion in and cleansing with water is now elevated to the Sacrament of Baptism, by which we are purified from the stain of original sin and made sons and daughters of God.

2. The Spread of Salvation to All Nations: Today’s psalm is taken from Book Two of Psalms and refers to the time of the fall of the Kingdom of David and the taking of Israel into exile. The Psalmist longs for God’s dwelling place and his soul thirsts for God. Psalm 42 is connected especially with the First Reading as it mentions the sources of the Jordan River: “My soul is cast down within me, therefore I remember you from the land of Jordan and of Hermon, from Mount Mizar” (Psalm 42:6). The psalmist looks forward to the day when he can once again approach God’s altar and praise him as his Savior and Lord. That day will ultimately come with Jesus’ passion, death, and resurrection, when all nations will worship God in Spirit and truth. Through the preaching and extension of the Kingdom of God, salvation reaches the ends of the earth.

3. Jesus’ Preaching in Nazareth: The people of Nazareth react in two very different ways to Jesus’ announcement of salvation. Jesus has just read the passage from Isaiah that foretells redemption, healing, and grace from the Lord (Isaiah 61:1-2). At first, the people of Nazareth spoke well of Jesus and were content as they pondered his words of wisdom. This benevolence changes quickly when Jesus implies that the Jews have rejected him just as they rejected the prophets. Jesus does this by alluding to two prophets who were instruments of God’s power for Gentiles. The prophet Elijah provided the Gentile widow of Sidon with food during a famine. Elijah’s successor, Elisha, sent Naaman the Syrian, another Gentile, to the Jordan to be cleansed of his leprosy. The Judeans of Nazareth were pleased with Jesus’ message of salvation and divine favor but became indignant when this salvation and favor was extended to the Gentiles. During his public ministry, Jesus will seek out the lost tribes of Israel and preach the Gospel of God in Galilee and Jerusalem. He will cast out demons, heal the sick, feed the hungry, and forgive sins. After his passion and resurrection, he will send out his disciples to all nations. 

Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, you have washed me in the waters of Baptism and cleansed my soul from sin. At Nazareth, you inaugurated the Great Jubilee Year of Mercy. Be merciful to me, release me from the bondage of sin, and guide me as I live the freedom of the children of God.

Living the Word of God: The communion antiphon today invites all nations to praise God for his mercy and love: “O praise the Lord, all you nations, for his merciful love towards us is great.” Contemplate how God has been merciful to you. How can I rejoice in God’s mercy today? How can I thank and praise God for his mercy?