“WHAT  HAVE YOU TO DO  

WITH US, 

JESUS OF NAZARETH?”

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 22 Tuesday in Ordinary Time is a question from today’s gospel. It’s from the man in the synagogue - in Nazareth, “What Have You to Do With Us, Jesus of Nazareth?”

Then the sick man, the man described as having a demon, or being unclean, yells out, “Have you come to destroy us? I know who, you are - the Holy One of God.”

GOSPEL OF LUKE

We’re into the Gospel of Luke now - right up to the end of this Church year - and Luke is going to tell us the very reason why Jesus came.

Today we are hearing why Jesus came into our existence. We’re told to wake up - to not be in the dark - to not be caught off guard.  We’re being told that Jesus is the Holy One of God.

Yesterday we heard that Jesus incorporates Isaiah 61 to tell us why he came: “to anoint us,  to bring us good news, to bring us freedom, to take away our blindness to let us see, let us go free.”

As we hear in the first chapter of Luke, Jesus came to bring the message, “Do not be afraid.”

He also came to tell us stories - parables. He came to introduce us to Mary. He came to bring us his Spirit - and on and on and on.

So Jesus came not to destroy us - but to restore us.

Each of us who receives Jesus, who invites Jesus into our inner synagogue - to be in communion with us - has to do their homework and discover what Jesus has to do with us.

SELF-DESTRUCTION

In the time of Christ we hear about demons and evil spirits.

As we read through the gospels we find out that’s how people thought about sin and mental sickness - and strange behavior - and depression - in the first century. They are  forces inside us.

In our lifetime we’ve heard people say, “The devil made me do it.”

In our lifetime we’ve seen family members and neighbors do self-destructive behavior.

Alcohol, drugs, eating disorders, addictions, porn, gambling, procrastination are all self-destructive patterns and behaviors.

I am a diabetic - and I have found that sugar and sweets can be diabolical. I have to fight taking sweets. And when I do take too many carbs,  I can feel the impact of high sugar. So I know about being self-destructive - like not walking enough - not doing enough exercise

SELF-HEALING

And we can do restorative behaviors. We can be saved. Jesus can arrive in our synagogue - as well as meet us on the road, in our house, garden, field, or stable.

St. Francis of Assisi once spoke a tiny piece called, “Wild Forces” that goes like this: 

WILD FORCES 

              There are beautiful wild forces 

              within us. 

              Let them turn the mills inside

              and fill sacks 

              that feed even 

              heaven.

CONCLUSION

"Within" is the key word.

Jesus came to earth dwell within us - in our inner Bethlehem - to be born again. 

And that man in today’s gospel - is  a voice within us - that’s worried about Christ coming into the synagogue within us. 

Down deep we fear Christ will destroy us. 

Today’s gospel is telling us Christ does just the opposite. Within this synagogue this morning, let Christ do to us what he did to this man in today’s gospel.