Sunday, July 08, 2012
Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
First Reading: Ezekiel 2:2-5
Psalm: Psalm 123:1-4
Second Reading: 2 Corinthians 12:7-10
Gospel:Mark 6:1-6
Mark 6: 1 - 6
1 He went away from there and came to his own country; and his disciples followed him.
2 And on the sabbath he began to teach in the synagogue; and many who heard him were astonished, saying, "Where did this man get all this? What is the wisdom given to him? What mighty works are wrought by his hands!
3 Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon, and are not his sisters here with us?" And they took offense at him.
4 And Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor, except in his own country, and among his own kin, and in his own house."
5 And he could do no mighty work there, except that he laid his hands upon a few sick people and healed them.
6 And he marveled because of their unbelief. And he went about among the villages teaching.
Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
First Reading: Ezekiel 2:2-5
Psalm: Psalm 123:1-4
Second Reading: 2 Corinthians 12:7-10
Gospel:Mark 6:1-6
Mark 6: 1 - 6
1 He went away from there and came to his own country; and his disciples followed him.
2 And on the sabbath he began to teach in the synagogue; and many who heard him were astonished, saying, "Where did this man get all this? What is the wisdom given to him? What mighty works are wrought by his hands!
3 Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon, and are not his sisters here with us?" And they took offense at him.
4 And Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor, except in his own country, and among his own kin, and in his own house."
5 And he could do no mighty work there, except that he laid his hands upon a few sick people and healed them.
6 And he marveled because of their unbelief. And he went about among the villages teaching.
A plant will grow if you will plant a seed, water it every day and provide it with enough sunlight. Unless you won’t do all these things all together, it will be very difficult and unlikely to produce any vegetation. In today’s Gospel, we focus our attention on the teaching of Christ about his Lordship. In the beginning of the Gospel, we find Jesus teaching in the synagogue. He was not just an ordinary preacher; he was a very popular teacher. Many came to follow and listen to his lectures in the synagogue. Even though many believed, there were still a lot of questions on Christ. Certainly, he was good teacher but his family background obviously created doubts to some of the listeners. His ancestry of being poor and being a commoner was a source of uncertainties and some skepticism. But Jesus knew all of this. He always knew that he always carried the title of being a “Son of a Carpenter” and being a “Carpenter”. He knew that it was not a secret to the nation of Israel that he came from a very simple family. He always knew that there were doubts and questions.
Jesus was not afraid of all of this. He was not afraid of the public scrutiny. He taught them, "A prophet is not without honor, except in his own country, and among his own kin, and in his own house." This is a profound lesson in reaction to all of the public scrutiny. There were doubts in the hearts of some of the people because they didn’t allow Christ to teach in their hearts. They treated him as foreigner not as a teacher. They treated him as an outsider not a brother. Jesus teaches us that his reign is not an enforced one. It is a kingship established on the willingness of a person to be subjected under his authority. He is not an inquisitor and more so not a dictator.
The kingship of God in our lives is like a seed. All of us have a planted seed in our lives. It is up to us if we will nourish the seed and help it grow to a big tree with large trunks and lots of good fruits. The kingship of God in our soul is like a seed. It may take time to grow, but though tested by time, rain and calamities, it will certainly grow. The kingship of Christ is not anchored on power but anchored on faith and trust. All we need to do is to believe in the seed, to care for the seed and it will certainly grow. The kingdom of Christ is in our hands. If we will believe and care for his teachings, certainly, he will reign in our lives.
Many times we tend to doubt Jesus especially on the times when we are wounded and fatigued. We tend to doubt his presence in our lives. We tend to believe that he abandoned us. Brothers and sisters, God’s love has never been absent. Jesus is always present we just don’t know where to look. Like the Apostle Thomas, we should learn that doubting Christ is a very big mistake. Like Thomas, we must be firm on our faith in Christ and always remember that he will never leave us alone no matter what. He is the most loyal among all. Let us live believe in his loving presence in each of us all in anywhere we go and in all the time of our lives. Amen.
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