14th Sunday in Ordinary Time (B) 4th July 2021

The reflections for Sundays and Solemnities is an activity of Society of St Paul, India

A Reflection by:
Fr Vincent Carmelbhavan,
SOCIETY OF ST PAUL, MUMBAI, INDIA.
------------------------------------------------------------------

My dear brothers and sisters saved by Christ,
On this 14th Sunday of the year the scripture readings tell us that Jesus, in order to save us, had to face the painful experience of rejection by his own people in his own village of Nazareth. It was just a prelude or an anticipation to the rejection by the entire Jewish authorities and Jewish people later. The readings also give us the comforting message that on the face of rejection and opposition for the sake of God’s kingdom, God is ever close to us, and assuring us: “My grace is sufficient for you.” Jesus invites us to understand that it is a universal experience that a true prophet or a missionary will be always rejected by many people especially by his own nearest ones. We see this trait all through the Bible: for example, Moses, Elijah, Elisha, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Amos, John the Baptist, Apostles, Deacon Stephen, the Apostle Paul and so on.
In the first Reading of today Prophet Ezekiel is warned by God about similar rejection as a prophet. In the Second Reading, as St Paul was facing some personal difficulties, he was assured by the Lord, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” When Jesus was rejected by his own villagers and kinsmen, he quoted the proverb: “No prophet is accepted in his own country and by his own kinsmen.”
After the beginning of his public ministry, Jesus was very enthusiastic to come to his own village of Nazareth, to teach them a lot about the Kingdom of God and do as many miracles as possible for them. But as Jesus began his teaching in Nazareth, and doing miracles, the people began to wonder about his wisdom and knowledge, and his powers. This people, instead of rejoicing at his wisdom and the miraculous powers, they began to ask, “Where did this man get all these?”
The people of Nazareth recalled Jesus’ own humble beginnings as son of Mary and as son of the carpenter Joseph. They have seen him working as a carpenter. He was quite known to them. In fact, they were asking him “What do you think of yourself that you are?” They felt that they knew everything about him and they could measure him up just in a few simple statements about him: “Is not this the carpenter? Son of Mary? and his brothers James, Joses, Judas and Simon?”
This attitude of prejudice and cynicism is dangerous to the growth and development in people and in community. Such situations can either break a man or make a man. One can become a victim or a victor A zero or a hero. However, Jesus did not allow such situation created by people to break him, because he was very clear about his mission to all the people. And he trusted in His heavenly Father.
The Gospel concludes this event with these words : “And he marveled at their lack of faith.” We see the same words “Jesus marveled” once more used in the gospels, that is in Mathew’s Gospel, Six: Ten, (6:10), when Jesus heard the words of faith by the centurion, the Gentile Roman Officer, “he marveled at his faith” In contrast, at Nazareth, it is lack of faith.
In spite of their lack of faith and rejection, Jesus could go ahead with his work, because he was always very clear about his mission which his Father has entrusted him. He was constantly aware, that on the face of rejection and opposition, his Father was with him, “as a mighty warrior” as a source of his strength and power. Jesus gave less importance to the opinion and estimation of people, and more importance to his Father’s will, and accomplishing them in his life was his priority. In his prayer, he was always assured of His Father’s support and strength.
A leader, a God’s messenger, a missionary, certainly would face similar prejudice and opposition in his or her own life. In such situations, like Jesus, one must not look around for support, but LOOK UP to the ONE who commissioned him or her. Remember the Psalmist who exhorts us in 118:8 “It is better to trust in the Lord, than to trust in man.”. God Bless you.