Qua bài tin mừng chúng ta thấy Chúa Giêsu đã không ngần ngại quở trách lòng chai đá, tội lỗi cũng như sự thờ ơ và vô tín của người Do Thái, trong khi người Do Thái xúc phạm đến Chúa nơi quê Ngài, vì họ đã mù quáng không nhìn thấy lòng thương xót của Thiên Chúa và kế hoạch cứu chuộc cho tất cả mọi dân tộc. Lời cảnh báo và sự phán đoán của Chúa Giêsu đã làm cho dân Do Thái gây ra sự thù địch với Ngài.
Chúa Giêsu ban ơn chữa lành và tha thứ cho tất cả những người khiêm tốn biết xin lòng thương xót của Ngài và giúp đỡ, Chúa sẵn sàng giải phóng chúng ta mọi thói quen tội lỗi và mọi cách có hại liên quan đến người chung quanh của chúng ta, nếu chúng ta cho phép Chúa tẩy rửa và chữa lành chúng ta. Nếu chúng ta muốn đồng hành và theo sát trong sự tự do và phát triển trong tình yêu và sự thánh thiện, thì chúng ta phải biết khiêm tốn, phải từ bỏ con đường tội lỗi của chúng ta và sống the sự hướng dẫn của Chúa Kitô.
Lạy Chúa Giêsu, xin dạy chúng con biết nhanh chóng từ bỏ tội lỗi và những thú vui tội lỗi trong cuộc sống của chúng con hoàn toàn và biết sống làm theo ý muốn của Chúa."
Reflection Monday third week of Lent Gospel Reading: Luke 4:24-30
When Jesus proclaimed the good news of God's kingdom to his own people, he did not hesitate to confront them with their sin of indifference and unbelief. He startled his listeners in the synagogue at Nazareth with a seeming rebuke that no prophet or servant of God can receive honor among his own people. He then angered them when he complimented the Gentiles who seemed to have shown more faith in God than the "chosen ones" of Israel. The Jews regarded the unbelieving Gentiles as "fuel for the fires of hell." Jesus' praise for "outsiders" offended the ears of his own people because they were blind-sighted to God's mercy and plan of redemption for all nations. The word of warning and judgment spoken by Jesus was met with hostility by his own people. They forcibly threw him out of the town and would have done him harm had he not stopped them.
The Lord Jesus offers healing and pardon to all who humbly ask for his mercy and help. He will set us free from every sinful habit and every harmful way of relating to our neighbor, if we allow him to cleanse and heal us. If we want to walk in freedom and grow in love and holiness, then we must humbly renounce our sinful ways and submit to Christ's instruction and healing for our lives. Scripture tells us that the Lord disciplines us for our good that we may share his holiness (Hebrews 12:10). Do you want the Lord Jesus to set you free from every sinful pattern and to make you whole and well again? Ask him to show you the way to walk in his love and truth.
"Lord Jesus, teach me to love your ways that I may be quick to renounce sin and wilfulness in my life. Make me whole and clean again that I may I delight to do your will."
Opening Prayer:
Jesus, you ask me to love my enemies and pray for people who persecute me (cf. Matthew 5:44). This is not an easy commandment. Help me to truly love and pray for anyone in my life that has caused me harm.
Encountering Christ:
Fickle Crowds: Just before this in the Gospel passage, Jesus had proclaimed himself the fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy, the “anointed bearer of glad tidings” (Isaiah 61:1-3). They “all spoke highly of him” (Luke 4:22). So why then, just minutes later, did they seek to murder him by throwing him off of a cliff? This seems to foreshadow Holy Week when the crowds in Jerusalem greeted him with praise, “Hosanna to the Son of David; blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord; hosanna in the highest” (Matthew 21:9), but then only days later called out, “Let him be crucified!” (Matthew 27:23).
Lack of Faith: The people were angry because Jesus condemned the lack of faith that he found in his hometown. He commented that Gentiles–the widow of Zarephath and Naaman the Syrian–were the recipients of God’s blessings and healings, not the Hebrew widows or lepers. This is what filled the crowd that day with fury; they were insulted and scandalized. However, one might wonder if they were also ashamed of their own lack of faith.
· Christ Loves Our Enemies: Jesus repeatedly calls for us to love our enemies: “But to you who hear I say, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you” (Luke 6:27). The people of Nazareth could not imagine God blessing and healing their enemies over themselves. The thought of it drove them to attack Jesus and try to kill him. We can ask ourselves if there is anyone in our life that we consider an enemy. Can we imagine Jesus loving and caring for that person? How does it feel to imagine the person being loved by Christ? When we pray for our enemies steadily over time, our hearts will soften because we become more and more like Christ.
Conversing with Christ: Loving our enemies is difficult. It stirs up many different emotions: anger, resentment, fear, and pride. Lord, grant me the desire to want my enemies to be loved by you. Grant me the grace to love the people that upset or annoy me. Grant me the courage and love to pray for anyone who has hurt me or sinned against me.
Resolution: Lord, today by your grace I will pray for one person whom I find difficult to love.
Encountering Christ:
Fickle Crowds: Just before this in the Gospel passage, Jesus had proclaimed himself the fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy, the “anointed bearer of glad tidings” (Isaiah 61:1-3). They “all spoke highly of him” (Luke 4:22). So why then, just minutes later, did they seek to murder him by throwing him off of a cliff? This seems to foreshadow Holy Week when the crowds in Jerusalem greeted him with praise, “Hosanna to the Son of David; blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord; hosanna in the highest” (Matthew 21:9), but then only days later called out, “Let him be crucified!” (Matthew 27:23).
Lack of Faith: The people were angry because Jesus condemned the lack of faith that he found in his hometown. He commented that Gentiles–the widow of Zarephath and Naaman the Syrian–were the recipients of God’s blessings and healings, not the Hebrew widows or lepers. This is what filled the crowd that day with fury; they were insulted and scandalized. However, one might wonder if they were also ashamed of their own lack of faith.
· Christ Loves Our Enemies: Jesus repeatedly calls for us to love our enemies: “But to you who hear I say, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you” (Luke 6:27). The people of Nazareth could not imagine God blessing and healing their enemies over themselves. The thought of it drove them to attack Jesus and try to kill him. We can ask ourselves if there is anyone in our life that we consider an enemy. Can we imagine Jesus loving and caring for that person? How does it feel to imagine the person being loved by Christ? When we pray for our enemies steadily over time, our hearts will soften because we become more and more like Christ.
Conversing with Christ: Loving our enemies is difficult. It stirs up many different emotions: anger, resentment, fear, and pride. Lord, grant me the desire to want my enemies to be loved by you. Grant me the grace to love the people that upset or annoy me. Grant me the courage and love to pray for anyone who has hurt me or sinned against me.
Resolution: Lord, today by your grace I will pray for one person whom I find difficult to love.
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