Romans 3:21-30 / Luke 11:47-54
It is said that the purpose of preaching the Good News is to comfort the disturbed, and to disturb the comfortable.
But when preaching ends up in comforting the comfortable, and disturbing those who are already disturbed, then the preaching may not be about the Good News, nor is it prophetic.
What is worse is when preaching is used for personal profit and benefit.
So preaching the Good News should have the effect of the double-edged sword of consolation and desolation.
And the prophetic voice of the preaching will be recognized by its call for justice.
In the 1st reading, St. Paul highlighted the justice of God, which is essentially about love and forgiveness.
Indeed, love and forgiveness is the very essence of the justice of God.
So whenever Jesus preached about love and forgiveness, He brought comfort to the disturbed and those in need of forgiveness.
But for those who wanted to silence the prophetic voice of justice, the words of Jesus brought them distress.
So if today, or any day, when we hear the voice of the Lord, when we hear the voice of love and forgiveness, when we hear the voice of justice, let us not harden our hearts and turn away.
If the Word of God disturbs us, it is because that God wants to awaken us so that we can be healed and comforted.