Fr. Michael Williams

Towards the end of His life on earth Jesus experienced the fickle nature of human beings towards Him. When Jesus entered Jerusalem on a colt the people welcomed Him by chanting, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord, Hosanna in the highest’, but a few days, later when Jesus is on trial before Pontius Pilate, the people shout, ‘Crucify Him! Crucify Him!’

Today’s gospel reveals to us the fickle nature of people toward Jesus. St Luke reveals to us, that after Our Lord had spoken in the synagogue at Nazareth, ‘Jesus won the approval of all, and they were astonished by the gracious words that came from His lips’. But at the end of today’s gospel the people have drastically changed their opinions about Jesus. We hear that ‘everyone in the synagogue was enraged…and they took Him to the brow of the hill…intending to throw Him down the cliff’ .

What was it that made people change their opinions so quickly with regard to Our Lord? It would appear that it is His teaching. When His teaching was fairly easy to accept the people would accept it and hold on to it. But once His teaching becomes more challenging the people often disregard it with great force.

In today’s gospel Jesus holds up a widow from Sidon and a leper from Syria, as people who put their faith in God, and who received blessings for doing so. This enraged Our Lord’s Jewish audience; they thought they alone could receive blessings from the Lord. Yet Jesus is keen to tell them that the Lord favours many people, people who are different in outlook to them.

The Church, like her founder Jesus Christ, also has many challenging teachings that can make people react in a negative way towards her. This week the Church has reiterated her teaching that the most favourable environment for a child to be brought up is a loving family, founded on marriage. Some people are enraged at what the Church teaches, just like they were often enraged be what Jesus said. But as Jesus is the teacher of truth, so is His Body the Church. As members of His Body, the Church, we are called to be faithful, not fickle, in our approach to Jesus and His Church.

People can often be enraged against Christ and His Church, but St Paul reveals to us what our reaction should be. He reveals that our reaction should always be one of love, because that was always the reaction of Jesus. Jesus did not rage against those who raged against Him, in fact He loved them in return. From the cross, He will pray, ‘Father, forgive them they do not know what they are doing’. As the people tried to ‘throw Him down the cliff’ Jesus gently slipped through the crowd and walked away- no rage or repercussions only quiet prayer for His persecutors.

St Paul challenges us today to follow the example of Our Lord, ‘who is always patient and kind…never rude or selfish…who takes no pleasure in other peoples sins, but delights in the truth…who is always ready to excuse and to endure whatever comes’. As followers of the Lord let us always delight in the truth, even if others don’t like it or accept it; Let us always be patient and kind, because God is very patient and kind to us; and let us always love, even those who are opposed to the Church, because that is what Christ did.