Word to the Wise
Sunday, July 8, 2012 - 14th Sunday in Ordinary Time - B
[Ezek 2:2-5; 2 Cor 12:7-10; 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 Joses 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." So he was not able to perform any mighty deed there, apart from curing a few sick people by laying his hands on them. He was amazed at their lack of faith.
It is an uncomfortable feeling to be "rejected!" The villagers and family of Jesus make it clear that they think he is getting "above his station in life." Middle Eastern life is very concerned with status and "honor." The people in Jesus' hometown knew him to be the son of a carpenter. Carpenters were not expected to be educated or to be healers or prophets! Where did he get his qualifications to teach? He was taking on a position "above himself." Their lack of faith prevents them from coming to him for help. His "mighty deeds" seem to provoke astonishment, but not faith! It's as if he were a magician!
In a number of places in the gospels, Jesus displays his frustration at "rejection." He has come to offer a precious gift - a way to eternal life - and because of envy or social status or indifference or prejudice, he and his gift are rejected. He quotes a proverb about the fate of prophets. We can see that fate in the other two scriptures for today from Ezekiel and Paul. Rejection and rebellion are common responses to prophetic preaching. Paul finds strength in his weaknesses because they make him more reliant on God. Ezekiel speaks of being "set on his feet" by God's spirit! The preacher has to be confident that the Spirit will take care of the message. It is not all about the preacher, except when that preacher was Jesus himself!
The listeners must bear the responsibility for their rejection. To reject the preacher because he or she is not of this or that race, profession, gender, sexual orientation, economic class, religious beliefs, educational background, etc. is to reject the message which could mean the difference between life and death. It might help to think of people whom we have regarded as "difficult prophets" and why we find them to be difficult. We may discover that the difficulty is not in them, but in us! AMEN