路4:16-30
耶穌的心情一定十分難過。
所謂「一人得道，雞犬升天。」耶穌滿以為把福音帶回自己長大的家鄉，幫助自己的親友，隔籬鄰舍和孩提時的老友，獲得天主的救恩。可惜，他們太熟識耶穌了，看不出他有多大的能耐而拒絕了祂。在他們的心目中，耶穌只不過是一個木匠的兒子。無疑，今天他在會堂的宣講很動聽，而且傳聞他在外面曾治病驅魔，但耶穌能帶給他們甚麼實際的益處呢？所謂的「上主恩慈之年」又能解決到他們每日所遇到的困難嗎？可以為他們繳稅，減少羅馬人的壓迫嗎？
我們相信天主的許諾嗎？我們可曾對天主失望過嗎？天主在我們身上所實現的仁慈，我們體會到嗎？抑或我們被自己的偏見所蒙蔽，狹窄地期望一些對我們沒有益處的事物，忽視了身邊我們看不起的人，拒絕了天主藉著他們為我們所預備了的恩寵呢？
寬宏的天父，求祢增加我們的信德，開啟我們的心目，在一切人地事物上，看到祢為我們所預備的救恩。亞孟。
BLINDED BY PREJUDICE
Jesus must have been very upset.
As the saying goes, “an enlightened man would help his chickens and dogs become deities.” Jesus must have thought that bringing home the good news to his relatives and buddies would help them receive God’s salvation. Unfortunately, they knew Jesus too well. They rejected him because they did not expect him to be somebody extraordinary. In their mind, Jesus was only the carpenter’s son. Doubtless, he spoke well today in the synagogue. They heard of his healing diseases and driving out demons elsewhere. But what practical benefits could Jesus bring them? Could the so called “acceptable year of the Lord” solve their daily difficulties? Would it help them pay tax or eliminate Roman oppression?
Do we believe in the promise of God? Have we ever been disappointed with God? Do we feel the mercy God works in us? Or have we been blinded by our prejudice, narrow-mindedly expected some useless things and ignored people we despise through whom God intends to give us grace which we rejected?
Merciful Father, increase our faith. Open the eyes of our hearts so that we may be able to see the salvation you have prepared for us in all people and things. Amen.
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