Daily Gospel Reflection
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March 4, 2024
Jesus said to the people in the synagogue at Nazareth:
“Amen, I say to you,
no prophet is accepted in his own native place.
Indeed, I tell you, there were many widows in Israel
in the days of Elijah
when the sky was closed for three and a half years
and a severe famine spread over the entire land.
It was to none of these that Elijah was sent,
but only to a widow in Zarephath in the land of Sidon.
Again, there were many lepers in Israel
during the time of Elisha the prophet;
yet not one of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian.”
When the people in the synagogue heard this,
they were all filled with fury.
They rose up, drove him out of the town,
and led him to the brow of the hill
on which their town had been built,
to hurl him down headlong.
But he passed through the midst of them and went away.
Reflection
My mother became a widow four months before I was born, so my ears perk up anytime the gospels make mention of widows, orphans, or other socially disadvantaged groups from Jesus’ time.
On those days, I stand a little taller in the pew, lean a little closer in the direction of the ambo, and hug my wife and children an extra second longer during the Sign of Peace. But even with a heightened awareness of the words from today’s Scripture, I still find myself left with more questions than answers.
Why was Elijah only sent to the widow in Zarephath when there were “many widows in Israel”? Why wouldn’t the Lord visit all of the widows or at least more than one? Were they not all equally suffering? Furthermore, why point out that only a Gentile was chosen?
I feel myself begin to follow in the footsteps of the Nazarenes—my initial curiosity swiftly turning into anger at the perceived injustice. But getting angry solves nothing and would just cause me to miss the point. As with so many other events in our lives, this gospel provides an opportunity to change our perspective—to choose to see Elijah’s visit to the widow from a different point of view.
Instead of dwelling on how much more could have been done for the other widows, I can choose to recognize a loving Heavenly Father who makes a point to encounter all of us in subtle, quiet ways every day throughout our lives—not just in the miraculous moments.
As we begin this new work week, let us take an extra moment to check that our perspectives come from a place of gratitude so that we may be more open to the ways Jesus is seeking to encounter us today.
Prayer
Lord Jesus: In your hometown synagogue you told your neighbors that no prophet is accepted in his native place and that prophets tell people what they don’t want to hear. They turned on you! Lord Jesus, give me the strength to speak your word even in the face of rejection. Amen.
