Word of the Week

4th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Amazed: Thaumazo (Gk): meaning, “to wonder, wonder at”, or “marvel in admiration”. This Greek term is a derivative from another Greek term, which means “to render immovable”

The CCC has no exact definition to the word marvel, or being amazed, but does draw our attention to its significance. The CCC states: “St. Luke in his gospel often expresses wonder and praise at the marvels of Christ and in his Acts of the Apostles stresses them as actions of the Holy Spirit: the community of Jerusalem, the invalid healed by Peter and John, the crowd that gives glory to God for that, and the pagans of Pisidia who "were glad and glorified the word of God” (Acts 2:47, 3:9, 4:27, 13:48). For this reason, we will consider more carefully Luke’s treatment of the aforementioned Greek term.
The Greek thaumazo can be found thirty-three times in the New Testament, thirteen in the gospel of Luke, which as noted above, is easily more than any other author in the NT. Luke first applies this term in his description of the people marveling at Zechariah’s tongue being loosed in the naming of his son John (Lk.1:63). Next, it was Mary and Joseph who were the ones marveling at the things said about the future of Israel concerning their son: “…for my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the presence of all the people, a light for revelation to all the gentiles, and for glory your people Israel. And his father and his mother marveled” (Lk.2:30-33). Luke also records the events surrounding the astonishing faith that the Roman Centurion displays, which ultimately leads to the healing of his servant. This faith, which Christ makes clear is rare, leads even the Son of God to marvel (Lk.7:9).  Luke continues to run this theme of being amazed in Christ’s divine power to calm the storm of the seas (Lk.8:25) and exorcise demons (Lk.9:43, 11:14). That being said, it was just not Christ’s divine authority over nature and power to expel demons that led people to marvel, it was also his handling of the “so called” tough questions. This is seen explicitly in his response to the question about paying taxes. His brilliant answer left them to “marvel” (Lk.20:26). Lastly, in the gospel we have for our readings this Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time, we read of Christ as the fulfillment to the promise of the restoration of Israel. In this case, the local Nazarenes were perplexed and marveled that such “gracious words can proceed from his mouth” as he was only the son of the local carpenter (Lk.4:22). The larger context to those present in the synagogue ultimately lead to the rejection of Jesus and his claim that he was the Christ.

This last passage from Luke remind us that our most severe critics often come from those who are either closest to us, or know us by proximity—neighborhoods and communities (maybe this is why it was once said by a priest friend of mine that the best speaker is the speaker who comes from out of town). The ungracious response that Christ received ought to remind us that two thousand years later, when we fulfill our own office of prophecy, there is a good chance that we too will be rejected and sometimes even despised.  We can be comforted that Christ also confronted crowds of discontent and hard-heartedness, and like Christ, we must move forward--only being contented by serving the will of the Father. This ought to be our lasting joy!

 

"We marvel at the Creator, not only as the one who made heaven and earth, sun and ocean, elephants, camels, horses, oxen, leopards, bears and lions, but also as the one who made the small creatures: ants, gnats, flies, worms and the like - things whose shape we know better than their names. And as in all creation we revere his skill, so the one whose mind is given to Christ is earnest in small things as in great, knowing that an account must be given even for an idle word."

--St. Jerome

Primary Texts Consulted

• Catholic Bible. Suggested trans. Revised Standard Version, Catholic Edition.
• Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2nd Edition, 1997.

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