Homily: Third Sunday in Ordinary Time
January 26, 2025
My dear brothers and sisters, the gospel reading of today centered on the introductory verses of the gospel of Luke. During this liturgical year C, we shall be reading from the gospel of Luke. Luke began from this introduction to channel our minds to the word of God, to give us a direction how to approach the word of God, how to read, study, listen, assimilate and digest the word of God. The word of God is life, the word of God is God, faith comes from hearing. If the word that came from the mouth of God has no deep roots in us, how can we do God’s will. St Jerome tells us that ignorance of the scriptures is the ignorance of God.
Luke began by telling us that many have written their own account of the gospel but he himself too bent down and investigated everything carefully and decided to write an orderly account. It is very significant that Luke did not dwell only on what others said about Jesus, no! Luke bent down and gave the gospel of Jesus his own personal touch. Brothers and sisters, we need to give the gospel of Jesus a personal touch. We too need to write our own gospel of a personal experience of Jesus.
Luke tells us that he bent down and investigated everything, he committed himself to diligent search and study. Yes, the Sacred writers were inspired by the Holy Spirit, but Luke did not lazy about and wait for the Spirit of God to miraculously produce the gospel through his hands. He was committed diligently in knowing everything about Jesus and producing an ordered account of Jesus. How can God’s inspiration come to us when we fold our hands and do nothing? How can the Holy Spirit inspire someone who does not search or read the word of God? How can God move someone who does not even attend Sunday Mass or pray? We remember Matthew 7:7, “search and you will find, knock and the door will be opened,” James 4:8, “draw nearer to God, and God will come nearer to you.”
Luke tells us in the gospel of today, that Jesus returned to Nazareth where he was brought up and went to the Synagogue as was his custom and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him to read. Jesus came from heaven and possessed the fulness of what it takes for us to be saved, yet as He grew up, He still joined in the synagogue worship to study the word of God. The synagogue arrangement might not have been the best arrangement, yet Jesus never omitted to join Himself to God’s worshipping people on God’s Day. We too should behave like him.
The emphasis given to the word of God by these our fathers in the faith really needs to captivate our attention and make us ask whether we still do the same today. Luke considered it worthwhile to do a thorough investigation of everything about Jesus and pen them down. In the first reading of today, we heard the priest Ezra and his excellency, Nehemiah the governor saw that the calamity which befell Israel was because they have forgotten the word of God. So, they gathered everybody, men and women, and all who have reached the age of understanding, and they read the book of the Law from early morning till midday. They were not tired of reading. We like them should read and digest the word of God. We should not be tired.
Luke said that he was writing the gospel account for the most excellent Theophilus. Biblical commentators have not agreed who this Theophilus is, but some say that Theophilus is any lover of God, that it is a derivative from the original Greek, Theos-God and Philos-love. If we go by this meaning, Luke writes the gospel for the lovers of God who are keen to read and addresses them as the most excellent people. Some biblical scholars also address governor Nehemiah who made Israel to read the book of the Law as His excellency, governor Nehemiah. In our time, especially in Third World countries, corrupt leaders who mess up the economy of their countries and endanger people’s lives and properties, call themselves his/her excellency, should that be? Excellency should lie in doing excellent things and in the words of St Luke, it is in reading God’s word and living our lives by the word of God that we read.
