Today's gospel in Lent, 24 March. Good news for all.
Today's gospel reading, set in Nazareth, underlines that God is good news for all.
Today's gospel: Luke 4:24-30
And he said, ‘Truly I tell you, no prophet is accepted in the prophet’s home town. But the truth is, there were many widows in Israel in the time of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up for three years and six months, and there was a severe famine over all the land; yet Elijah was sent to none of them except to a widow at Zarephath in Sidon. There were also many lepers in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha, and none of them was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian.’
When they heard this, all in the synagogue were filled with rage. They got up, drove him out of the town, and led him to the brow of the hill on which their town was built, so that they might hurl him off the cliff. But he passed through the midst of them and went on his way.
Sacred Space
You can find an aid to prayer and gentle reflection on the gospel here:
https://sacredspace.com/daily-prayer/2025-03-24/
Christian Art
Reflecting on this passage, Fr Patrick van der Vorst writes:
"In our Gospel reading today, Jesus challenges the narrow view of God held by the people of Nazareth, his hometown. Just as they believed that Jesus belonged to them, they also assumed that God belonged exclusively to the people of Israel. However, when Jesus attempts to broaden their understanding by citing Old Testament scripture—where God appears to favour pagans over the Jewish people—their reaction is one of outrage. So incensed are they by his words that they respond with violence, even attempting to throw him off a cliff.
Jesus’ rejection in Nazareth foreshadows an even more brutal rejection in Jerusalem, which we will soon encounter at the culmination of Lent.
The God of Jesus is more compassionate, more generous, more expansive, more inclusive, and more loving than they (or we) could ever imagine. It is a beautiful vision of how God is fundamentally ‘good news’ for all who are willing to receive it, regardless of culture, race, or background."
You can listen to or read this reflection in full here:
https://christian.art/daily-gospel-reading/luke-4-24-30-2025/
