14th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year B - 4/7/2021 - Gospel: Mk 6: 1-6
Fixity
The people of Nazareth believed they knew Jesus. They actually knew the man Jesus, but not His deity. Jesus returned to His hometown. Twice, His own people rejected Him. The first time was when Jesus claimed, that the text the prophet Isaiah prophesized was about Him.
The Spirit of the Lord has been given to me, for he has anointed me. He has sent me to bring the good news to the poor, to proclaim liberty to captives and to the blind new sight, to set the downtrodden free, to proclaim the Lord's year of favour' Is. 61:1-2
Listening to Jesus, His villagers were furious. They became violent, intending to push Him down the cliff, but He eluded them, and walked away (Lk. 4:29).
Jesus returned to His hometown for the second time. This time, His people flocked in to listen to Him. They were amazed at His wisdom. Because of His great wisdom, His eloquence, and the power of His miracles, they wondered was He the Nazarene Jesus they knew, or was He someone else? The people had two images of Jesus. The one of Jesus who grew up with them, and the other, the present one. The one Jesus grew up with them, was the social stigma image of Jesus. A social system dictates the way people predict the future of another person. A birth status fixed the future of that person. For example, anyone being born to unknown parents would have an unknown future. Jesus' villagers knew His background, and their image of Him would remain unchanged, or change very little. The townsfolk knew the Nazarene Jesus, His background, His childhood, His family and His relatives. He was the carpenter, and the son of Mary. The carpenter had no formal training in theology, and the son of Mary had no reception of schooling. He would remain a carpenter for life.
The second image of Jesus was the one they now were facing. The two images were incompatible. This man Jesus showed He was best in everything. His intelligence, His wisdom, His choice of words, His power, and miracles were all beyond peoples' imagination. This man, Jesus, had incredible wisdom, and power. The townsfolk believed, He wasn't the Jesus, Who grew up with them.
They judged Jesus according to human standards. Learning and growing take time. Their image of Jesus had not changed. They couldn't accept Jesus' deity. They couldn't accept the reality, that Jesus was empowered by God. They acknowledged Jesus' power, and wisdom, but questioned His identity.
Jesus had left Nazareth as a carpenter. He returned as a prominent scholar, a leader accompanied by a group of disciples. The people were amazed at His wisdom, and power, while Jesus was amazed, not at their lack of faith, but at their unbelief. Being judged and rejected was a common experience that God's messengers had experienced. Jesus was included, no exception. A person, and his message are two realities, but when people reject someone, they make no distinction. They reject both the person and his message. Jesus' message, wisdom, and His miracles would not change the image His townsfolk had fixed for Him. For them, He was a carpenter, and that was His identity. His status from birth would stick in the minds of the village for life. Jesus was saddened, because His own people refused to take what He offered. The best choice was to go elsewhere.
We pray for the wisdom to welcome the change, change towards Jesus' teaching.
The Spirit of the Lord has been given to me, for he has anointed me. He has sent me to bring the good news to the poor, to proclaim liberty to captives and to the blind new sight, to set the downtrodden free, to proclaim the Lord's year of favour' Is. 61:1-2
Listening to Jesus, His villagers were furious. They became violent, intending to push Him down the cliff, but He eluded them, and walked away (Lk. 4:29).
Jesus returned to His hometown for the second time. This time, His people flocked in to listen to Him. They were amazed at His wisdom. Because of His great wisdom, His eloquence, and the power of His miracles, they wondered was He the Nazarene Jesus they knew, or was He someone else? The people had two images of Jesus. The one of Jesus who grew up with them, and the other, the present one. The one Jesus grew up with them, was the social stigma image of Jesus. A social system dictates the way people predict the future of another person. A birth status fixed the future of that person. For example, anyone being born to unknown parents would have an unknown future. Jesus' villagers knew His background, and their image of Him would remain unchanged, or change very little. The townsfolk knew the Nazarene Jesus, His background, His childhood, His family and His relatives. He was the carpenter, and the son of Mary. The carpenter had no formal training in theology, and the son of Mary had no reception of schooling. He would remain a carpenter for life.
The second image of Jesus was the one they now were facing. The two images were incompatible. This man Jesus showed He was best in everything. His intelligence, His wisdom, His choice of words, His power, and miracles were all beyond peoples' imagination. This man, Jesus, had incredible wisdom, and power. The townsfolk believed, He wasn't the Jesus, Who grew up with them.
They judged Jesus according to human standards. Learning and growing take time. Their image of Jesus had not changed. They couldn't accept Jesus' deity. They couldn't accept the reality, that Jesus was empowered by God. They acknowledged Jesus' power, and wisdom, but questioned His identity.
Jesus had left Nazareth as a carpenter. He returned as a prominent scholar, a leader accompanied by a group of disciples. The people were amazed at His wisdom, and power, while Jesus was amazed, not at their lack of faith, but at their unbelief. Being judged and rejected was a common experience that God's messengers had experienced. Jesus was included, no exception. A person, and his message are two realities, but when people reject someone, they make no distinction. They reject both the person and his message. Jesus' message, wisdom, and His miracles would not change the image His townsfolk had fixed for Him. For them, He was a carpenter, and that was His identity. His status from birth would stick in the minds of the village for life. Jesus was saddened, because His own people refused to take what He offered. The best choice was to go elsewhere.
We pray for the wisdom to welcome the change, change towards Jesus' teaching.
Written by Fr Vũđình Tường
St Francis Xavier Catholic Parish
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Brisbane Australia
St Francis Xavier Catholic Parish
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Brisbane Australia
