Word to the Wise
Wednesday, September 2, 2015 - Wednesday in the 22th Week in Ordinary Time
[Col 1:1-8 and Luke 4:38-44]WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2015 WEDNESDAY IN THE TWENTY-SECOND WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME [Colossians 1:1-8 and Luke 4:38-44] At daybreak, Jesus left and went to a deserted place. The crowds went looking for him, and when they came to him, they tried to prevent him from leaving them. But he said to them, "To the other towns also I must proclaim the good news of the Kingdom of God, because for this purpose I have been sent." The last three days, we have been hearing the beginning of Jesus' ministry in the Gospel of Luke. As always, it is helpful to keep the big picture in mind. Luke's portrait of Jesus is organized around a long journey from Nazareth to Jerusalem. It begins in the synagogue in Nazareth, where he is rejected and continues to Capernaum and on from there. The quote today is meant to show that he would not allow any location to claim him. It also shows that he needed time alone to pray after spending the previous day teaching and healing. His journey will end in Jerusalem but in the Acts of the Apostles [also by Luke], the Holy Spirit then sends Jesus' message to the whole world. Each of the four gospels is both portrait and preaching. As we meditate on Luke's version of the story of Jesus' I hope we can note the important elements that challenge us, over the next few weeks. AMEN