Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing
"Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.” (cf. Lk 4:21). The listeners confirm this statement of the Lord Jesus because they have witnessed various miracles that He performed, the miracles concerning the poor, the sick, the unfortunate ... Exactly the ones that the prophet Isaiah spoke of. On the other hand, there is a doubt: Is this not the son of Joseph?
How can He perform such signs? Where does the difficulty of a specific recognition of the foretold sign come from? Disbelief comes from comparing our own expectations with the reality we observe. Our imagination is our greatest enemy in spiritual life. The words of Isaiah were well known to the Israelites and their fulfillment was eagerly awaited. So, thinking normally, everyone should be very happy that they are just coming true. But the reaction of the inhabitants of Nazareth, as we know from the rest of the Gospels, was different. They did not believe it. There was a discrepancy between their expectation and what they saw in Jesus’ acts. They probably read Isaiah's words in terms of their own benefit. They were a glorious foreshadowing if they applied to them, but if they were to relate to others, and God forbid their opponents, the prophecy was unacceptable. This reaction was especially encountered by Saint Paul during the proclamation of the Gospel. The Jews could accept anything, even the truth about "killing the Righteous," but were unable to accept the truth about the participation of the Gentiles in the kingdom of God. And yet the texts of the Old Testament are unambiguous in this matter and speak of the admission to the kingdom of God the pagans and all nations.
It is a great ability to read the word of God like it sounds, not according to our own imaginations. In fact, it could be said that the First Epistle of St. John is a text that shows how to properly read the Gospel, what are the correct criteria for its correct reading?
If anyone says, “I love God, but hates his brother, he is a liar; for whoever does not love a brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen”. (1 Jn 4:20)
Saint John uses a very strong word to describe a misreading of the message of the Lord Jesus; "lies". The matter is very important, because our belonging to Jesus or to Satan depends on the way how we listen to the word and receive it. In the Gospel according to St. John in his polemic with the Jews, the Lord Jesus calls them "sons of the devil", the father of lies, because they did not know how to listen, because in their listening they looked for what was convenient for them. True listening always brings visible results: sensitivity to another person, acting in accordance with the commandments, inner peace, joy, mercy... And many other benefitscould be enumerated.
Until Tomorrow
fr. george