Fr. John Ryan

FOURTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

28th January 2007

 

The Liturgical Calendar provides short reflections on the readings for each day of the year. Today, it highlights the emphasis on prophecy contained in the first reading, the call of Jeremiah, and the Gospel, where Jesus isn't accepted in his own place. The reflection states: 'Jesus has come as the prophet to all the nations. There is no limit to the mercy and salvation he brings, only the willingness to accept him.'
When it comes to relationship with God the only limits are placed by us. God's love and concern for his people is limitless. His love for us is unconditional. However, we place limits. Caught up in our own personal limitations, we try to categorise Jesus Christ according to our own limits. The people who saw Jesus grow up and mature couldn't see beyond the limitations of their own experiences and the Prophet was not accepted in his own place. How could he be the one to bring salvation to the people of Israel? He was one of them, ordinary and apparently insignificant in the grand scheme of things. The limits placed on Jesus today occur in two different spheres - those who do not believe in him as Son of God regard him as, at best, a great teacher or philosopher who can point the way on a number of questions that life throws at us but nothing more. He would not be a Saviour, a Liberator of the Spirit and definitely not one who unites the here and now to the heavenly existence.
Those who believe in Jesus as Son of God put limits on him too. In the ups and downs of life we tend to see Jesus as one who should transform the downs rather than be one who supports during the downs. The mercy and salvation brought by Christ is not interference in every moment of life but inspiration for life. Unable to see the greater picture of our own earthly existence and the hope we are called to have in the resurrection of Jesus, we fail to appreciate the prophetic nature of Jesus Christ. We fail to see that Jesus offers encouragement and support through his total self-giving in obedience to the Father and out of love for the Father and humanity. We fail to see that he presents the means for attaining true joy and fulfilment and not mere momentary contentment. We fail to see that he presents us with an overall way of living and not a reactionary approach to life. We limit his teaching to finding answers to individual situations rather than trying to see the overall form of living he presents.
To limit Jesus' role as a kind of divine troubleshooter is to do a disservice to his mission while restricting how we should truly perceive him. We end up reducing our relationship with him, seeing him as some kind of counsellor who should have the answers for problems rather than the true friend that he is. Unconditional love fulfils the description of love offered by Paul in the second reading - Jesus offers it and calls us to respond. But we must do so without limits. We shouldn't bargain with him. We must strive to return his unconditional love unconditionally.