Recognizing the Power of God in Others: Ezk 2:2-5; 2 Cor 12:7-10; Mk 6:1-6 (B 14)

 Recognizing the Power of God in Others

Ezk 2:2-5; 2 Cor 12:7-10; Mk 6:1-6 (B 14)

Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Alleluia (DO)

 

Today’s Gospel describes Jesus’ ministry of teaching in the synagogue followed by acts of healing. In his hometown of Nazareth, the people are amazed by what they heard but they could not comprehend how someone they know might move them so powerfully. Jesus’ earthly foster father was Joseph the carpenter, an artisan who works in wood, stone, and metal. Jesus learned this trade from his father. The evangelist Mark describes Jesus as the son of Mary, which is an unusual designation. Adult males were more typically identified with the name of their fathers. It is unclear why Mark deviates from this custom.

Brothers and sisters of Jesus are also named in today’s Gospel. Scholars are divided on how to interpret this. As Catholics, we believe that Mary was and remained always a virgin, thus we do not believe that Mother Mary had other children. Some have suggested that these family members might be Joseph’s children from a previous marriage, but there is little evidence to support this. Others explain this reference by noting that the words “brother” and “sister” were often used to refer to other types of relatives, including cousins, nieces, and nephews.

Jesus was in Nazareth, the place where he grew up. The people who heard him preach were his neighbors. They had known him since he was small. They remember when he was a little boy learning a bit at a time how to become a carpenter like his foster father, Joseph. They remember him playing with their children. They remember when his voice changed and when he began to grow a beard. They were so little in their knowledge of Jesus’ humanity, that they refused to listen to the Word of God that he was proclaiming. They could not believe that God would work through Jesus. Their lack of faith resulted in Jesus not being able to perform any of the mighty deeds of God among them.

We often make the same mistake. Some people seem too ordinary to us to be vehicles of God’s truth. They may be our parents or our children, our neighbors or our companions at work or school. They might proclaim a reality that could change our lives, but we do not want to hear it from them. Paul realized that it was God working through him that brought so many people to the faith. Christ’s power also works through us. We really do not have the right to deny our responsibility to the Lord.

We may think that we are not good enough to talk about the Lord, but we are good enough. He makes us good enough. We must remember that the positive effects of what we say come from the Lord, not from us. His grace is sufficient for each of us to be the instrument to bring joy of salvation to our family members and our neighbors. His power will work through us in ways greater than we can ever realize. His power will be made perfect in our weakness too.

I tell you solemnly, no prophet is accepted in his own country.