OLD TESTAMENT Jeremiah 1:4-10

4. Now the word of the Lord came to me saying, 5. “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.” 6. Then I said, “Ah, Lord God! Truly I do not know how to speak, for I am only a boy.” 7. But the Lord said to me, “Do not say, “I am only a boy'; for you shall go to all to whom I send you, and you shall speak whatever I command you. 8. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you, says the Lord.” 9. Then the Lord put out his hand and touched my mouth; and the Lord said to me, “Now I have put my words in your mouth. 10. See, today I appoint you over nations and over kingdoms, to pluck up and to pull down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant.” (NRSV)

GOSPEL Luke 4:21-30

21. Then he began to say to them, “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”

22. All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth. They said, “Is not this Joseph's son?” 23. He said to them, “Doubtless you will quote to me this proverb, “Doctor, cure yourself!’ And you will say, “Do here also in your hometown the things that we have heard you did at Capernaum.’ “ 24. And he said, “Truly I tell you, no prophet is accepted in the prophet's hometown. 25. But the truth is, there were many widows in Israel in the time of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, and there was a severe famine over all the land; 26. yet Elijah was sent to none of them except to a widow at Zarephath in Sidon. 27. There were also many lepers in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha, and none of them was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian.”

28. When they heard this, all in the synagogue were filled with rage. 29. They got up, drove him out of the town, and led him to the brow of the hill on which their town was built, so that they might hurl him off the cliff. 30. But he passed through the midst of them and went on his way. (NRSV)