Our God is a God of love. That God loves us can be seen in His sending of Jesus, His Son, as the Saviour of humanity. Since we are created in the image and likeness of a loving God, we, too, love one another. Only if we love our visible neighbour can we love God, who is invisible. From this perspective, a person who has no love for others knows nothing of God.

Jesus Christ manifested God's love for humanity through his life and mission. Today's account in the gospel passage describes Jesus returning to his hometown, "with the power of the Spirit in him". His teaching at the synagogue astounded the people who were highly impressed with him. Jesus indicated to them that although he had grown up in the same place as they did and is familiar to them, his true identity and mission transcends his human and Jewish origins. The people's expectation is that Jesus' mission should be confined to the Jews and, therefore, should benefit them above everyone else. Jesus tells them that he has been sent as the Messiah, to preach the gospel to the whole of humanity.

Often, we tend to limit God's love for His people. Based on our understanding and experiences of human love, we think we know how God should love and whom God should or should not love. However, the scripture readings remind us that God's love can never be limited or confined, as it goes beyond human thinking or reasoning.