Third Sunday in Ordinary Time

A patch of clear water
amid the ice. 

Lectionary: 69

Ezra the priest brought the law before the assembly, which consisted of men, women, and those children old enough to understand. Standing at one end of the open place that was before the Water Gate, he read out of the book from daybreak till midday, in the presence of the men, the women, and those children old enough to understand; and all the people listened attentively to the book of the law.
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Rolling up the scroll, he handed it back to the attendant and sat down, and the eyes of all in the synagogue looked intently at him. He said to them, “Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.”

Because it’s still January, perhaps it’s not too late to say, “Happy New Year!” We’re off to a new beginning. On this third Sunday of ordinary time we hear of Jesus’ first address – his inaugural address – to the people of his own hometown.

We hear of, and must imagine, their astonishment as Jesus took his seat on the synagogue president’s chair. First he read the words of Isaiah with unusual clarity. Catholics notice the different ways our lay readers approach the scriptures. Some read the words only to themselves; they are not really prepared for the duty. Others proclaim the scriptures to us with volume and articulation, but they don’t know what is important about the reading. And some read with authority and confidence; you hear every word and every syllable, and you feel the reading's gravitas. This is God’s word.

But when Jesus took the Book of the Prophet Isaiah in hand, he was the Word made Flesh. He read with the authority of the Son of God! It’s no wonder they were astonished! Nothing like that had ever happened anywhere in the world, and there it was happening in their own town of Nazareth. The only thing Nazareth was known for to date was nothing good came of it. (John 1:46)

Beyond the manner of its presentation and the person who read it, Jesus announcement was astonishing: “Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.” The long awaited Day of the Lord has come. Nothing will ever be the same.

But within a few moments, the crowd realized that nothing had changed, at least nothing they could see. How can a fellow just stand up there and read these words with such conviction and majesty and then sit there like a god and make such a pronouncement? It’s outrageous. It’s too much.

I recall the distressed, angry response of the childless Shunammite woman when Elisha promised she would have a son, “She replied, ‘No, my lord, O man of God; do not deceive your servant.’” I hear her saying, “Don’t mess with me, Holy Man.” And especially when the child suddenly died she was angry, “Then she said, ‘Did I ask my lord for a son? Did I not say, Do not mislead me?”  (2 Kings 4:8-37)

Dear God, do not raise our hopes only to drop us into the same old situation! Nothing has changed since Jesus made his inaugural address in Nazareth – except that Emmanuel is with us. He has pitched his tent among us, and we saw his glory. 

Our hope is new, but now it is more than expectation. Animated by the Spirit of God, our hope is energy, courage and eager willingness. We come streaming to the Lord saying, “What do you want me to do? How can I help bring the Day closer?” Jesus has enlisted us as his own. We have been baptized into his body, to work with him and, if necessary, to suffer with him -- so that we might be raised up with him.