Remember : St Luke Gospel 14:28-30
Jesus came to Nazara and spoke to the people in the synagogue
‘I tell you, no prophet is ever accepted in his own country. ….
In the prophet Elisha’s time there were many lepers in Israel, but none of these was cured, except the Syrian, Naaman.‘
When they heard this everyone in the synagogue was enraged. They sprang to their feet and hustled him out of the town; and they took him up to the brow of the hill their town was built on, intending to throw him down the cliff, but he slipped through the crowd and walked away.
Reflect Rejection was normal for Jesus
We don’t like to have our old way of life challenged by anyone: family, church, civil authorities or even the bible for that matter. We like to stick to our old favourite prayers, relics, rituals, the lessons we leant from childhood.
We prefer to deal with newcomers in our own way be they the poor, the rich and powerful, strangers, immigrants, refugees, in-laws, tax people, popes, bishops, priests, politicians, broadcasters, the homeless, disgraced, criminals or even the sick or elderly.
Do not disturb could well be our motto.
But Jesus took everybody as they came. – without judgement, preconditions or prejudices.
In Jesus’ case he came with a new message of faith from God our Father.
Love for one another as sisters and brothers under God is his message because that is what we are.
This led him to Calvary. He knew he was setting the bar high for us but he also guaranteed that he will be there with us to support us in our fears and doubts. The question for us is do we trust him enough to walk in his footprints, at least some of the way?
A Story And history held its breath
The action of Rosa Parks, the Afro-American lady who refused to yield her seat on a bus to a white person in Alabama back in 1955. An unjust law demanded that she do so. After a long day’s work, she told the bus-driver that she was too tired to stand.
Later she was to declare that what she was really tired of was humiliation, oppression and injustice. On a retreat three weeks before the historic event, the preacher made a telling observation.
He reminded his listeners that, although they may be just weak people, God could do great things with their co-operation. This sentiment affected her deeply, returned to her as she boarded a segregated public bus and sat down in the white section of the bus. She was asked to move from the seat. She refused. She was arrested and thrown into prison.
Rosa’s valiant act of protest was the spark that ignited the mighty and successful civil rights movement of Martin Luther King Jr. After which segregated seating on public buses was made illegal.
Prayer
Lord,
Give me courage and determination,
free me from shyness and fear,
strengthen my resolve to do good for someone else today.
Help me to be brave enough to stand up and be counted
whenever I see any injustice or racism or abuse of others.
We ask this in Jesus name. Amen
Our Father….
Glory be ……
