To Be a Prophet

01-30-2022Weekly Reflection© J. S. Paluch Company

Today’s readings show us what it is like to be a prophet. As Jeremiah recounts his call, God warns him that he will need strength and perseverance to withstand the hostility he will face from “Judah’s kings and princes” and “its priests and people” (Jeremiah 1:18b). God also assures him that they “will not prevail over you, for I am with you” (1:19). The psalm reflects both of these struggles as well as deliverance from them (“salvation”).

This is exactly what Jesus experiences in today’s Gospel. After he claims that his own mission is the same as what Isaiah proclaimed, at first the people marvel at his “gracious words” (Luke 4:22). Soon, however, they become suspicious, skeptical, and hostile, even threatening to kill him. But just as God promised to deliver Jeremiah, so Jesus “passed through the midst of them and went away” (4:30).

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