Trong Tin Mừng hôm nay, dân Do thái cũng đang làm điều tương tự như thế, họ hành động theo bản tính xác thịt của họ. Chúa Giêsu đã chữa lành nhiều người và tất nhiên những người dân địa phương ở đấy không muốn Chúa Giêsu dời đi nơi khác. Họ muốn tôn vinh Chúa, Người đã chữa lành cho họ và họ muốn giữ Chúa Giêsu lại để Chúa có sẵn ở đấy để cứu chữa cho những người khác trong làng, trong xóm của họ.
Nhưng Chúa Giêsu đã cho họ biết là Ngài được sai đến với tất cả mọi ngưòì và Ngài không đến riêng với một nhóm, hay một dân tộc nào và Ngài đã nói với họ là Ngài phài ra đi và đến với những người khác đang mong chờ Ngài.
Lạy Chúa xin Chúa hướng dẫn chúng con, xin chữa lành và xóa bỏ những chia rẽ nơi chúng con, để hoá giải những đổ vỡ trong chúng con và trong thế giới như Đức Giêsu đã làm hôm nay.
In the Gospel today, the people again do the same thing — act on their cultural cues. Jesus is healing people and of course the people of the town do not want Jesus to leave. They want to honor the healer and keep him available for others in THEIR village. But Jesus is called for the many and not exclusively for this one group and he tells them he must move on. He does not simply join one synagogue, the custom of the day, but is called to visit them all; to spread the Gospel to all.
The Church reminds us that it embraces all cultures — indeed there is much in culture that is holy and good and expressive of God. On the other hand we are also reminded that our faith stands in judgment and challenge over all cultures also — that like ourselves, culture, which is a human product, can also be sinful.
Lord, lead us to heal divisions, to heal the brokenness in ourselves and in the world as Jesus do today.
If you wanted to share some important message with a group of people, you would first need to get their attention. This could be done through a variety of means, such as through a charismatic personality, a powerfully moving story, a heroic act of virtue, or anything else that leaves people impressed or even amazed. Once you have their complete attention, you can share the message you want to share. This is what Jesus did in today’s Gospel.
Jesus began His public ministry in Nazareth, but the people of his hometown rejected Him from their Synagogue.
Therefore, He immediately traveled some 20 miles on foot to Capernaum, a town just north of the Sea of Galilee, where Jesus would spend much of His time. In this first visit to Capernaum, at the beginning of His public ministry, Jesus taught in their Synagogue, cast out a demon, and then went to the home of Simon (who eventually was given the name Peter) to perform His first recorded physical healing in Luke’s Gospel. He cured Simon’s mother-in-law, who suffered from a severe fever. Then, later that evening, many people brought to Jesus the sick and possessed, and Jesus “Laid his hands on each of them and cured them.” He certainly got their attention. And the next morning, as Jesus was preparing to leave Capernaum after this first visit during His public ministry, the people tried to convince Jesus to stay. However, Jesus said to them, “To the other towns also I must proclaim the good news of the Kingdom of God, because for this purpose I have been sent.”
Has Jesus ever gotten your complete attention? Though you most likely have never witnessed a miraculous healing first hand or seen a demon being cast out of one who was possessed, Jesus still wants your full attention. He wants you to be so amazed at Him and so impressed by Him that you find yourself seeking Him out so as to be more fully fed by His divine teaching.
Some people give their full attention to our Lord after a powerful experience on a retreat. Others are struck by a powerful sermon. And there will be countless other ways by which Jesus has gotten your attention so as to fill you with a desire to listen to Him and be with Him. Such experiences lay a wonderful foundation by which we are continually invited to turn to our Lord. If this is not an experience to which you can relate, then ask yourself the question “Why?” Why haven’t you been amazed by our Lord to the point that you fervently seek Him out so as to listen to His nourishing Word?
Reflect, today, upon this initial way by which our Lord got the attention of the people of Capernaum. Though some would eventually turn from Him, many did become faithful followers on account of these personal experiences. Reflect upon any way that you have encountered our Lord powerfully in the past. Have you allowed that experience to become an ongoing motivation for you to seek Him out? And if you cannot point to any such experience, beg our Lord to give you an interior drive to desire more of Him and to be fed by His holy Word and divine presence.
My miraculous Lord, I know that You desire my complete attention in life. And I know that I am often distracted by many things that compete with You. Give me the grace I need to become so amazed by You and by Your action in my life that I fervently seek You out so as to be continually nourished by Your holy Word and divine presence in my life. Jesus, I trust in You.
1. The Ministry of Simon’s Mother-in-law: Simon Peter’s house in Capernaum became Jesus’ home base for his ministry in Galilee. After preaching and teaching in the synagogue, Jesus went to Simon’s house and cured Simon’s mother-in-law. Considering that Jesus’ public ministry in Galilee lasted about three years, we can assume that Simon’s mother-in-law prepared many meals and served Jesus, her son-in-law, and Jesus’ other disciples. We do not know her name, nor do the Gospels record any of her words. It appears, though, that she didn’t complain that she was left alone to do the serving like Martha of Bethany did. Unlike Martha, Peter’s mother-in-law wasn’t anxious about many things. She simply served and was happy to do this for her son and his son’s Teacher. She expressed her gratitude to God through loving service. How am I serving Jesus and his disciples? How do I express my gratitude to God?
A Man of Action: After being led in the desert to be tempted by Satan and returning to Nazareth to proclaim his messianic mission, Jesus’s public ministry in Galilee began in earnest. He cast out demons, cured Simon’s mother-in-law of her fever, and healed the many ailing brought to him. After so many years of patient waiting during his hidden life, there seemed to be a clear urgency in his action. This intensity of mission was present throughout Our Lord’s public life. There were times when they had no time to eat or rest (Mark 6:31). At least once; he was so fatigued that he slept in the boat through the storm (Matthew: 8:24). At the sight of the crowd, he had pity and began to teach them (Matthew 9:36).
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