Whereas Jesus was acclaimed in other towns in Galilee, when he came to Nazareth, his own people rejected him. He reminded them in response to their objections that prophets traditionally were not welcomed in their hometowns (cf. Lk 4: 23).
A prophet is one who stands apart and critiques what he sees around him. As Jose Pagola writes, the prophet is not anointed by anyone. His authority comes from God who is bent on inspiring and guiding his beloved people with his Spirit, when political and religious leaders do not know how to do so. In an unjust society where the powerful look for their own well-being while silencing the suffering of those who weep, the prophet dares to read and live reality as seen through the compassion of God for the most miserable. His entire life is turned into an 'alternative presence' that criticized injustices and call for conversion and change. (Pagola Following in the The Footsteps of Jesus, Year C p. 90)
Do we see Jesus as a prophet? Are there any prophets such as this today? Do we still need them? Who is calling the Church, us, to conversion? Do I see myself as a prophet? Some questions to ponder today, and in the fast-approaching 40 days of Lent.
Bro. Rene
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