GOSPEL READING:
Matthew 13:54-5854 and coming to his own country he taught them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished, and said, "Where did this man get this wisdom and these mighty works? 55 Is not this the carpenter's son? Is not his mother called Mary? And are not his brothers James and Joseph and Simon and Judas? 56 And are not all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all this?" 57 And they took offense at him. But Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor except in his own country and in his own house." 58 And he did not do many mighty works there, because of their unbelief.
Meditation: Are you critical towards others, especially
those who are close to you? The most severe critics are often
people very familiar to us, a member of our family, a relative,
neighbor, student, or worker we rub shoulders with on a regular
basis. Jesus faced a severe testing when he returned to his home
town, not simply as the carpenter's son, but now as a rabbi with
disciples. It would have been customary for Jesus to go to the
synagogue each week during the Sabbath, and when his turn came, to
read from the scriptures during the Sabbath service. His hometown
folks listened with rapt attention on this occasion because they
had heard about the miracles he had performed in other towns.
What sign would he do in his hometown? Jesus startled them with a
seeming rebuke that no prophet or servant of God can receive honor
among his own people. The people of Nazareth took offense at
him and refused to listen to what he had to say. They
despised his preaching because he was a carpenter from the working
class, and a mere layman untrained by religious scholars. They
also despised him because of his family background. After all,
Joseph was a tradesman as well and Mary had no special social
distinctions.
Familiarity breeds contempt
How easily familiarity breeds contempt. Jesus could do no mighty
works in his hometown because the people who were familiar with
him were closed-minded and despised his claim to speak and act in
the name of God. If people come together to hate and refuse to
understand others different than themselves, then they will see no
other point of view than their own and they will refuse to love
and accept others. How do you view those who are familiar to you?
With kindness and respect or with a critical and judgmental
spirit?
The Lord Jesus offers us freedom from sin, prejudice, contempt,
and fear. His love and grace sets us free to love others with the
same grace and mercy which he has shown to us. Only Jesus can
truly set us free from the worst tyranny possible - slavery to sin
and the fear of death. His victory on the cross brings us pardon
and healing, and the grace to live holy lives by the power of the
Holy Spirit. Do you know the joy and freedom which Christ's love
brings to our hearts?
Lord Jesus, your love conquers every fear and breaks the power of hatred and prejudice. Flood my heart with your mercy and compassion, that I may treat my neighbor with the same favor and kindness which you have shown to me.
Psalm 81:1-5, 9-10a
1 Sing aloud to God our strength; shout for joy to the God of Jacob!
2 Raise a song, sound the timbrel, the sweet lyre with the harp.
3 Blow the trumpet at the new moon, at the full moon, on our feast day.
4 For it is a statute for Israel, an ordinance of the God of Jacob.
5 He made it a decree in Joseph, when he went out over the land of Egypt.
9 There shall be no strange god among you; you shall not bow down to a foreign god.
10 I am the LORD your God, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.
Daily Quote from the Early Church Fathers: Few miracles done because of their unbelief, by Origen of Alexandria (185-254 AD)
"It seems to me that the production of miracles is similar in
some ways to the case of physical things. Cultivation is not
sufficient to produce a harvest of fruits unless the soil, or
rather the atmosphere, cooperates to this end. And the atmosphere
of itself is not sufficient to produce a harvest without
cultivation. The one who providentially orders creation did not
design things to spring up from the earth without cultivation.
Only in the first instance did he do so when he said, 'Let the
earth bring forth vegetation, with the seed sowing according to
its kind and according to its likeness' (Genesis 1:11). It is just
this way in regard to the production of miracles. The complete
work resulting in a healing is not displayed without those being
healed exercising faith. Faith, of whatever quality it might be,
does not produce a healing without divine power.' (excerpt
from the COMMENTARY ON MATTHEW 10.19)
