Walking with Jesus: Third Sunday in Ordinary Time C

For Sunday, January 26, 2025

Nehemiah 8:2-6, 8-10; 1 Corinthians 12:12-30; Luke 1:1-4, 4:14-21
 

Today we hear from the readings that God is our Father — that He loves us — that He sent the Holy Spirit to guide us — and He sent Jesus to explain what it all means. How grateful we are to know we are loved and that God has put each of us here for a purpose — to help others realize God’s love through our love and for all to be united with the Father, Son and Spirit in our forever home ... Heaven.

Consider taking today’s readings to a quiet place with the Lord. Sit down and reflect on each of them, imagining that you are listening to Nehemiah, Paul and Luke explaining God’s message to you. Each encompasses God’s love and His eternal plan for all of creation.

Ezra is the priest-scribe who acts as religious leader to the Jewish community that returned recently from the Babylonian captivity. Nehemiah led the people back and has supervised the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem. Ezra and Nehemiah have been commissioned by the Persian authorities to accomplish this undertaking. The “captivity” has lasted 50 years and only now the Jewish people are allowed to return. This exile has not been forced upon the entire population — just the most prominent, influential and powerful members. Those remaining in Israel have been fragmented, helpless and torn apart while their political and business leaders, along with the money leaders for more than two generations, have been in exile. Imagine what that would be like for us.

Ezra is acting in his capacity as priest, responsible for interpreting the Law of Moses. Today he is on a high stage in an area like an amphitheater, able to be seen by everyone — including women and older children — so that all can hear and understand the Law. His point in doing this is very clear: The people should know the law and keep it. It was given to them by God on Mt. Horeb (also known as Mt. Sinai), where Moses received the Ten Commandments from God. This is where the people entered into a covenant with God after escaping from slavery in Egypt. God will be their God and the Israelites will be His people: “I will be your God, you will be My people.” This is repeated in Genesis 34:24, Exodus 6:7,  Ezekiel 34:24, Ezekiel 36:28, and Jeremiah 7:23. It’s interesting that Ezra's audience is weeping, signifying their perceived unworthiness before God and the Law He gave to Moses with the Ten Commandments. With the Exile behind them they are well aware of their unworthiness that caused the Exile. Ezra and Nehemiah tell them to rejoice, for God is with them — He always has been — and their celebration is meant for future generations who will read this as part of their liturgical commitment to the Law. Again we are living in God’s plan and witnessing its continuance, as John 6:63 records in the Psalm Response: “Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.”

Paul uses a metaphor of the human body, as is commonly used by other ancient moral philosophers to express the teachings on church unity. It signifies that unity (one body) is possible, even amid diversity (many parts). By themselves, the different parts do not a body make. Each has different functions and the internal ones may play a bigger role, but all are necessary. Paul is writing to the Corinthians. Scholars tell us that he sent them four letters, only three of which have been discovered. Paul has had loads of trials with the Corinthians. Here he is validating the weakest members of their community and instructing others not to embarrass but care for them. The point is that God cares for the neediest, and so should the members of the Christian community — so that if one suffers, all suffer. If one is honored, all are honored. There is no room for competition or resentment in this kind of community. We still struggle enormously with this concept of loving all, especially those in the most need. Help us Lord!

Luke’s gospel begins with an address to Theophilus whose name means “friend or lover of God.” It seems that this man has assumed the responsibility of publishing this gospel (Acts 1:1). Luke tells us that eyewitnesses handed down what he has written, and Luke now hands it on to us. Jesus taught in synagogues in Galilee and is now returning to His hometown. He reads from Isaiah 61:1-2, stating that He is a prophet who has been anointed by the Lord (v. 1). The principal role of the prophet is proclamation. Jesus says He is the prophet filled with the Spirit; He is the one who inaugurates the year of deliverance; He is the one who has launched the era of eschatological fulfillment. The time has come; He is the fulfillment of all of God’s promises. He will suffer, die, rise and ascend to His home and our home. His hometown people don’t like it: Who do you think you are? We remember you growing up … we know your parents … you are one of us; you certainly can’t be our messiah. (Read vv. 22-30.) Do we in our wisdom and knowledge object to God’s plan and feel that it just can’t be? I live a good life, I know how I will be saved; I don’t have to go to church and do all that stuff. I’ll get to heaven my way. God’s plan has been echoed throughout today’s readings. Take time to reflect and see God’s love and plan for each of us, and ask for God’s grace to live His life in each of us.

So I reflect on:

• I look at my own body. Is it healthy, etc.? Consider the ways I may be judging parts of my body to the detriment of the entire system. I am the Body of Christ: How am I living that?
• How do I tend to the needs of my own body? How might I tend similarly to the needs of the Body of Christ?

Sacred Space 2025 states:

“Our God speaks to us today through His inspired words in the Bible and especially in the Gospels. ‘O that today you would listen to His voice! Do not harden your hearts, as at Meribah.’ (Psalm 95) May we always be open to whatever He wishes to teach us through His word.

“Jesus returns to His native village to bring the gift of the Good News to all those He had grown up with. With great longing Jesus wants to give to each of us the Good News of our salvation. He has promised us that He will reveal Himself to us, but He needs us to give Him that opportunity through our heartfelt encounters with Him in prayer.”