Sunday, February 3, 2013

New Israel

The Church is the New Israel, the embodiment in history of the New Covenant. We should read today's Gospel with that in mind. In it, Our Lord says to his Jewish neighbors, children of the original Israel:
"Indeed, I tell you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah when the sky was closed for three and a half years and a severe famine spread over the entire land. It was to none of these that Elijah was sent, but only to a widow in Zarephath in the land of Sidon. Again, there were many lepers in Israel during the time of Elisha the prophet; yet not one of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian."
When the people in the synagogue heard this, they were all filled with fury. They rose up, drove him out of the town, and led him to the brow of the hill on which their town had been built, to hurl him down headlong. But Jesus passed through the midst of them and went away.
-- Luke 4:25-30

When are we too arrogant at being the New Israel to see Jesus working in the goodness of the lives of people outside the New Israel? Will we reject Him in our pride? Will He pass through the midst of us, and go away?

No comments:

Post a Comment