Listening to the Prophets

ORDINARY TIME

Gospel Mt 4:12-17

When Jesus heard that John had been arrested,
he withdrew to Galilee.
He left Nazareth and went to live in Capernaum by the sea,
in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali,
that what had been said through Isaiah the prophet
might be fulfilled:

Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali,
the way to the sea, beyond the Jordan,
Galilee of the Gentiles,
the people who sit in darkness have seen a great light,
on those dwelling in a land overshadowed by death
light has arisen.
From that time on, Jesus began to preach and say,
“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

The Prophet Isaiah

Throughout the Gospels and New Testament, they are constantly referring to passages from the Old Testament: words of the prophets.  They point out that Jesus is fulfilling the prophecies, the prophecies that the Jewish people had been told for hundreds of years.

I never really got that until today.

I would hear them say it and quote some ancient scripture, but I never really understood.

The Prophet Amos

But now it occurs to me - they new these words.  They had them memorized.  Most Israelites couldn't read, didn't have reading material even if they could.  They would gather each Sabbath and a priest would read the stories of their ancestors and the words of the prophets.  They would savor the stories, repeat them to their children, discuss them and dream on them and pass them on and on.  They discussed the scriptures as they worked and as they rested.  They were not distracted by tv, video games, cell phone, radios, internet, computers or even books and magazines.  There minds were not occupied and distracted like ours are today.

Today, there isn't a person I know of almost any age from my 21-month-old granddaughter to my 80 year old mother who could not join in and sing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star with me.  Almost anyone can recite nursery rhymes like Humpty Dumpty or Mary Had a Little Lamb, or tell the story of the Three Little Pigs. 

So if all of a sudden you heard of a wolf in another town who was blowing houses down...would ping on your memories?  Wouldn't you think "hey, this sounds familiar" or  "hmmmmmm.  I remember something about this"  or  "could this be the wolf from the stories?"

Now, what if all my life I had heard the stories from my parents and elders, talked about them with my friends and family, dreamed about a Deliverer with every horror that the Romans subjected me to, told my children to keep the hope and faith and remember what the prophets foretold.....would I recognize my Lord when he came?

Prophet Malachi                                           Prophet Habakkuk

Would I have the ears to hear and the eyes to see?

I can understand them talking themselves out of it (curse that Satan at work!), "who is this Jesus?"   "Is he the One?"   After hundreds of years, really?  Is this Him?

I can imagine a people being so patient and loyal for so long that they are unable to accept that it has happened!  They just can't wrap their brains around the idea that God has answered their prayers!

    Prophet Obadiah                                            Prophet Micah        

God gave words to the Prophets, he allowed them to tell us the signs and conditions to recognize the Messiah by.  We were told what to watch for so we'd know Him.  Jesus fulfilled over 300 prophecies of the Old Testament - how could they not see who he was?

Prophet Hosea                                         Prophet Ezekiel   

Lord, please open my eyes and my ears to you.  Help me to see you everyday, to know you and your will for me.  Give me grace to understand and live for you each and every day!  Amen!

Prophet Elijah

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