REFLECTIONS TODAY

Today’s Gospel highlights one aspect of Jesus’ prophetic mission—the care for the outsider. It is much easier to care for the poor within our fold but not for the poor whom we consider as outsiders. Here, Jesus is identified with the prophet Elijah and the prophet Elisha. Elijah was sent to a poor widow of Zarephath in the land of Sidon. Elisha healed Naaman the Syrian. Both Sidon and Syria were outside the land of Israel. It was very difficult for the people of Israel in Jesus’ time to accept the fact that God also cares for other people outside their recognized territory. We are challenged to do our prophetic mission that includes the outsiders.

Gospel • Lk 4:24-30

Jesus said to the people in the synagogue at Nazareth: “Amen, I say to you, no prophet is accepted in his own native place. Indeed, I tell you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah when the sky was closed for three and a half years and a severe famine spread over the entire land. It was to none of these that Elijah was sent, but only to a widow in Zarephath in the land of Sidon. Again, there were many lepers in Israel during the time of Elisha the prophet; yet not one of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian.” When the people in the synagogue heard this, they were all filled with fury. They rose up, drove him out of the town, and led him to the brow of the hill on which their town had been built, to hurl him down headlong. But he passed through the midst of them and went away. *Source: “365 Days with the Lord 2023,” St. Paul’s, 7708 St. Paul Rd., SAV, Makati City (Phils.); Tel.: 632-895-9701; Fax 632-895-7328; E-mail:* [*[email protected]*](mailto:[email protected])*; Website:* [*http://www.stpauls.ph*](http://www.stpauls.ph/)*.*