Homily for Monday of the 3rd Week of Lent

In our Gospel passage, Jesus confronts a limited view of God held by His fellow Nazoreans, who believed that God belonged solely to the Israelites. When Jesus reminded them of instances in Scripture where God seemed to favor pagans over the Jewish people, they felt resentment and drove Him away. This rejection in Nazareth foreshadowed the more violent rejection He would face in Jerusalem.

Jesus aimed to expand the people's narrow understanding of God. He wanted them to recognize, as St. Peter later stated, that "God has no favorites." Jesus sought to convey that God's generosity and inclusiveness extend beyond their imagination. He consistently attempted to demonstrate that there is so much more to God than they comprehended.

Jesus' vision of God remains a challenge for us today, but it is still "Good News" for all who are open and willing to receive it.