Holy First-Martyr and Equal-to-the-Apostles Thekla
Ephesians 6:18-24; Luke 4:22-30
Abstention from meat and foods that contain meat
Read Luke 4:22-30
Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory forever!
In today’s gospel reading, we find Our Lord teaching in the synagogue at Capernaum. He experiences some serious opposition to His teaching and not only opposition but such wrath from the local leaders that they seek to kill Him by throwing Him headlong off a hill! What has enraged them to such an extent? Well, they have been called out for their prejudice and pride that only they could be justified before God. Our Lord describes ways in which God sent His prophets Elias and Elisha to non-Jews, to Gentiles afflicted by famine and disease to save them. This foretells the preaching of the Gospel to the Gentiles and Jews alike.
Brothers and sisters, none of us like being called out for our prejudices, our pride, our self-righteousness, or our false piety. Yet, we are all guilty of these things at times. Do we believe that we merit God’s grace, love, and mercy more than others because we consider ourselves more faithful? We do at times. We do not fully understand how God acts in the world: “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, says the Lord” (Isaiah 55:8). Let us humble ourselves and always give thanks for how God is working in the lives of others so that we might be more grateful for how He lives in us and brings us such blessings in abundance.