Readings: 1Thessalonians 4:13-18; Psalm 96; Lk 4:16-30 It’s hard to believe that those people who knew Jesus, those from his town, reacted in such a severe way to our Lord. Jesus had just entered the Synagogue and read from the Prophet Isaiah who stated that “the Spirit of the Lord” was upon him and that he had come to “proclaim liberty to captives.” Jesus’ mission was clear: He was the Messiah, sent from the Father, and yet Jesus was rejected to the point that the people drove Him out of the town and tried to kill Him. Again, it’s hard to comprehend the extreme emotions that people experienced in regard to Jesus. Some came to love Jesus with deep passion, others were outraged at Him and sought His life. One thing that these extreme emotions tell us is that we cannot remain indifferent to Jesus when we truly listen to His words. Indifference comes when Jesus is ignored. But when He is heard and understood, it is clear that His message demands a response. If we do not fully accept Him as we listen to His message, then we will be tempted to reject Him and all that He speaks. Jesus wants to do the same with us. He wants a response from us. First, He wants us to hear Him, to understand the radical nature of His message, and then to make a choice. He wants us to follow Him with passion and zeal, to believe in everything He teaches, and to radically change our lives as a result. If we will not change, Jesus’ words will challenge us and evoke a response. One common example of this today is the strong response that sometimes comes from a teenager or young adult when a loving parent confronts them when they begin to go astray. When confronted in love with the truth, emotion is often stirred up. That is not always bad. The temptation on the part of the parent is to back off and compromise. That’s not what Jesus did with the townspeople. He spoke the truth in love and accepted their response. So it is with those in our lives. At times we must speak the hard but loving truth others need to hear even if we know they will blow up. In the end, challenging with compassion and truth may ultimately win them over.