“TODAY THIS SCRIPTURE PASSAGE IS FULFILLED IN YOUR HEARING.” LK 4:16-30
Humbly submit your will to God (Thy Will be done) and consecrate yourself to the Sacred Heart of Jesus through Mary and Joseph.
Prayer Prompt before reading LK 4:16-30: Come, Holy Spirit, teach me how to pray, interpret the Scriptures for me so that I may know the Truth about who God the Father and God the Son are so that I may know who I am.
“Jesus Christ is not another prophet among many,” says Bishop Barron. He is the Messiah. “Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.” Isaiah was prophesying about the Messiah in which Jesus read in the synagogue that day. This is one of many prophesies that Jesus the God Man fulfills (around 100).
Here is a little aside on using science and mathematics to show how difficult it is for a single human to fulfill a prophecy:
“Peter Stoner calculated the probability of just 8 Messianic prophecies being fulfilled in the life of Jesus. As you read through these prophecies, you will see that all estimates were calculated as conservatively as possible.” Excerpt taken from: https://christinprophecy.org/articles/applying-the-science-of-probability-to-the-scriptures/
- The Messiah will be born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2).
The average population of Bethlehem from the time of Micah to the present (1958) divided by the average population of the earth during the same period = 7,150/2,000,000,000 or 2.8×105. - A messenger will prepare the way for the Messiah (Malachi 3:1).
One man in how many, the world over, has had a forerunner (in this case, John the Baptist) to prepare his way?
Estimate: 1 in 1,000 or 1×103. - The Messiah will enter Jerusalem as a king riding on a donkey (Zechariah 9:9).
One man in how many, who has entered Jerusalem as a ruler, has entered riding on a donkey?
Estimate: 1 in 100 or 1×102. - The Messiah will be betrayed by a friend and suffer wounds in His hands (Zechariah 13:6).
One man in how many, the world over, has been betrayed by a friend, resulting in wounds in his hands?
Estimate: 1 in 1,000 or 1×103. - The Messiah will be betrayed for 30 pieces of silver (Zechariah 11:12).
Of the people who have been betrayed, one in how many has been betrayed for exactly 30 pieces of silver?
Estimate: 1 in 1,000 or 1×103. - The betrayal money will be used to purchase a potter’s field (Zechariah 11:13).
One man in how many, after receiving a bribe for the betrayal of a friend, has returned the money, had it refused, and then experienced it being used to buy a potter’s field?
Estimate: 1 in 100,000 or 1×105. - The Messiah will remain silent while He is afflicted (Isaiah 53:7).
One man in how many, when he is oppressed and afflicted, though innocent, will make no defense of himself?
Estimate: 1 in 1,000 or 1×103. - The Messiah will die by having His hands and feet pierced (Psalm 22:16).
One man in how many, since the time of David, has been crucified?
Estimate: 1 in 10,000 or 1×104.
“Multiplying all these probabilities together produces a number (rounded off) of 1×1028. Dividing this number by an estimate of the number of people who have lived since the time of these prophecies (88 billion) produces a probability of all 8 prophecies being fulfilled accidentally in the life of one person. That probability is 1 in 1017 or 1 in 100,000,000,000,000,000. That’s one in one hundred quadrillion!”
Jesus had a mission, to save us, show us God’s love, and be a model of holiness for us to follow. He was not accepted in his hometown, no prophet was. Joseph, a poor carpenter, certainly could not raise the Messiah in his own home. How do you and I judge poor people or those who have not accomplished a lot but are just and righteous?
Mary, a simple woman who said yes to God (Fiat), could not possibly raise the Messiah. Once again, the Jews of Nazareth are thinking in human ways instead of God’s ways. God can do what He wants with whomever He wants if they are open to His call. We may not be called to be the Messiah, but through God’s mercy we exist and have a role to play in the Church today. We, too, are called to holiness in this place and in this time according to God’s plan. We are called to imitate this God Man.
God’s call requires trust, humility, and an open-mind. His call does not require us to be rich or poor, healthy or sick, or a certain ethnicity. We do not have to be a certain height, weight, or pretty. We do not have to have certain qualifications or a specific job. We do not need to have a certain social status or be popular. Our identity (value/worth) is not based on what we have accomplished or how much we have.
In our hearts, we just need to believe in God, trust in Him, and give our “Yes” to Him like Mary and Joseph everyday. He will do the rest. Simple, but not easy. God’s grace can do anything with a human will that desires holiness by seeking God’s will out in their lives and surrendering.
Today’s challenge: Start thinking in God’s ways instead of human ways. Recognize that God has called you to be holy in this time and in this place to change the world. How much? It depends on what God’s call is for you and how much you are willing to give up of yourself so God can fill you up with Him. It’s not about how much we accomplish here, it is about how much we love in each little act we do each day. That is challenging!
Be a servant, be a saint today!
#Christian YOLO
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