God of the underdogs

I was brought up in a low-cost housing estate, a government funded housing program to cater for the needs of the lower-income families in Hong Kong in the sixties. Therefore, my ambition was to become a social worker to serve the needy. So, when I entered the university, I switched to study social science instead of pure science. When I first taught in La Salle after graduation, I resented the reality that I was serving the elite class of the society. Gradually, God enlightened me. There are spiritually poor people among the rich. Now, I feel privileged to have taught these bright kids who have become professionals serving Hong Kong.
My God is also a God of the underdogs. He chose Israel to engineer His salvation plan for the fallen humanity. Superficially, God did not seem to have made a right choice. Israel has never been a great or powerful nation throughout human history as she herself is well aware of.
It was not because you were more in number than any other people that the LORD set his love upon you and chose you, for you were the fewest of all peoples (Deuteronomy 7:7).
What is worse, Israel has been very rebellious and failed time and again to cooperate with God. This naughty girl needs to be disciplined and, out of love, God does not spare her. The kingdom was split into two after the death of King Solomon. The two daughter kingdoms were conquered and exiled. A remnant of chosen people survived but was successively ruled by the Greeks and Romans. In the meantime, they have developed a deeper and deeper hope in the steadfast love of God. But they have never shaken off their exclusive outlook. The world has to wait until the emergence of Christianity for monotheism to become catholic, to become universal.
In the gospel reading today, we read of Jesus being rejected by his own countrymen in Nazareth. The change of moods in the story is rather sudden. There are a lot of emotional undercurrents going on.
On Sabbath, Jesus stood up in the synagogue to read a passage from Isaiah. It was well received.
And he began to say to them, "Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing."
And all spoke well of him, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth; and they said, "Is not this Joseph's son?" (Luke 4:21-22)
Then, Jesus seemed to feel slighted by the last remark --- "Is not his Joseph's son?" He took up the defensive.
And he said to them, "Doubtless you will quote to me this proverb, 'Physician, heal yourself'; what we have heard you did at Capernaum, do here also in your own country." (Luke 4:23)
Had Jesus all along been despised in Nazareth, an underdog in Nazareth? What was wrong for being a carpenter's son? Was it because the people of Nazareth knew that Jesus was an illegitimate son of Joseph? In the gospel of Mark, the people of Nazareth called Jesus the carpenter, the son of Mary rather than Joseph's son. Mark seems to suggest that Jesus was rejected because of his low social status (a carpenter). Indeed, Luke does not say either Joseph or Jesus was a carpenter. Therefore, the people of Nazareth slighted Jesus for some other reasons.
Then came the main theme of the story.
And he said, "Truly, I say to you, no prophet is acceptable in his own country (Luke 4:24).
Xenophilia, love of novelty, enhancing one's standing by association with foreigners etc. might not be a correct explanation for this attitude towards prophets. In fact, prophets were rejected because they did not speak popular wisdom. Instead, they spoke God's messages which, for most of the time, were difficult to obey. When people were not able to vent their anger to God, they projected it to His spokesmen.
To further elaborate Jesus' point, Luke quoted two examples which were not found in the other gospels: Elijah and Elisha.
But in truth, I tell you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, when there came a great famine over all the land;
and Elijah was sent to none of them but only to Zarephath, in the land of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow.
And there were many lepers in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha; and none of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian." (Luke 4:25-27)
Now, it was the people of Nazareth who were offended. But why?
These two prophets were the favourites of Israelites. Many miracles were associated with them. In particular, the relevant miracles demonstrated one key point: There is no God in all the earth but in Israel (1 Kings 17:24, 2 Kings 5:15). Instead, Luke's Jesus made use of these two prophets to turn the table and show them a stark reality: God is not just the God of Israel. He is God of all humanity, especially the underdogs. Israel has always been the underdog. Therefore, they are able to obtain God's favour. Now, at the end of time, God's love is open to all.

My God, I pray that my students and I may continue to work for the good of all, especially the underprivileged. Amen.