Word to the Wise
Wednesday, February 1, 2012 - Wednesday in the 4th Week in Ordinary Time
[2 Sam 24:2, 9-17 and Mark 6:1-6]"Where did this man get all this? What kind of wisdom has been given him? What mighty deeds are wrought by his hands! Is he not the carpenter, the son of Mary, and the brother of James and Joseph and Judas and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us?" And they took offense at him. Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor except in his native place and among his own kin and in his own house."
Rejection is a major theme of the Gospel of Mark. In today's gospel passage, the rejection is a tough one because it comes from those closest to Jesus. In a tribal culture where family, clan and tribe are the principal social units, rejection in one's own small village is tatamount to social isolation. Jesus' family has already shown that they thought he was out of his mind. Now his hometown folks join in the rejection. It is this rejection by family, village, disciples, religious leadership, etc. that ultimately leads to the cross.
One might note the words of the audience which seem to indicate that because they thought Jesus was "getting above himself," they did not even want to hear him, much less believe in him. It is not a matter that their lack of faith could prevent him from healing but rather that lack would prevent them from coming to him for healing in the first place. (Mark is not interested in the issue of "brothers and sisters" and Mary's virginity here, nor in the question about the relationship between faith and healing.) Rejection of Jesus has consequences. That is the message. AMEN