Reflection on the Gospel– 4th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year C (Luke 4:21-30)

February 18, 2013

This week’s gospel reading continues the story of Jesus in the synagogue at Nazareth. At first he is universally accepted: the townspeople marvel at the ‘gracious’ words he utters and identify him as ‘Joseph’s son’. By the end of the story, however, these same people actually try to kill him. So, what happens in between to cause such a dramatic change of heart? These are religious people, not an unruly street mob. They are friends of the family. They are familiar with their sacred texts and traditions and presumably want to understand them more fully. In fact, they are like most of us who take time out on a weekly basis to come together in worship and prayer with those who share our faith.