Word to the Wise
Wednesday, February 5, 2014 - 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."
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2014 ST. AGATHA, virgin and martyr
The Gospel of Mark makes it clear that it wasn't just the scribes and Pharisees who had a tough time accepting Jesus! His own family and hometown rejected him! This latter rejection must have been a bitter pill. The atmosphere of rejection was so strong that he was only able to heal a few people. "He was amazed at their lack of faith."
The home town audience is a tough one. In a village like Nazareth, anybody that got "above himself" would be suspect! "Where did he get all this?" The local thinking would certainly NOT have included the idea that this home grown carpenter could be the "messiah!" Even so, Jesus, who grew up there and would have been aware of this typical village attitude, was amazed at their lack of faith! He quotes the proverb about prophets having a tough time with those closest to them personally!
This incident is a challenge to our own "homegrown" prejudices about who Jesus is and how he should present himself to us! Do we dismiss a committed Catholic on the grounds that they "got religion and should keep it to themselves?" Could it be that their enthusiasm and commitment is a threat to our own "lukewarm-at-best" commitment? Does this attitude get stronger the closer that person or persons are to us? If so, then we better not sneer at the folks in Nazareth! AMEN