Momma’s Boy | February 3, 2016

February 3, 2016

Today’s gospel really shows us a human side to Jesus. He probably missed home, his mom, his family, his friends, and he probably wanted to show them how he had grown as a teacher and scholar. Maybe he was excited and somewhat nervous as he stood up in his hometown synagogue to preach on the word. Maybe he knew it would backfire on him. Maybe he hoped his momma would be proud. Maybe he had high expectations about the reaction of his neighbors. Maybe it was a safe place to test the waters. I think it’s a scene that we can all relate to. If you really want to get to know someone, spend time with his or her family! They’ll tell you the true story. Our families know us in a different way than the outside world and while strangers and acquaintances might be “astonished” by whatever it is that we do for a living, our family is the one that keeps us in check, right! Just ask a preacher’s wife or children. Just ask my parents or brother (preferably my parents, wink wink) and they will tell you about cranky, opinionated, inpatient Jen and when I hear their stories about me, I wince because gosh darn it, they’re right! Ugh.

Now, I’m not suggesting that Jesus was any of those negative things, however, the story suggests that he was not necessarily the shiny eloquent preacher or brilliant impressive scholar amongst his peeps and of course at first they were blown away by him, but when they realized that his preaching had messianic overtones, they succumbed to their own fear and insecurity of having to get out of their comfort zones, change their old ways, and follow their next door neighbor, their handy man, their best friend’s son, their paper boy, the town bachelor. When push comes to shove they would rather find all the excuses not to believe him rather than grow their faith. Raise your hand if you have ever done the same.

Faith requires three things: belief, knowledge, and trust. Because Jesus had not been doing ministry in his hometown, they only had a limited experience of his work and because they could not see the whole picture, their faith was lacking. I wonder if this broke his heart? Here he was evangelizing all the neighboring villages, healing the sick, and opening hearts, including the gentiles, Samaritans, and even a Roman centurion, but in his home, he was rejected.  The text says, “So he was not able to perform any mighty deed there, apart from curing a few sick people by laying his hands on them. He was amazed at their lack of faith.” Their lack of faith prohibited Jesus from being able to work wonders there. How sad this must have been for Jesus. It helps me deal with my own rejection for sure. How many times have I rejected Christ because my view of the whole picture was obstructed by fear, insecurity, jealousy, pride, etc.? How many times has he been prohibited from doing mighty works because my faith was lacking?

Today’s gospel has two messages for us: 1.  Even Jesus was rejected by the people he loved the most, but he did not wallow in despair and simply moved on to the next town doing what he was called to do. We must trust that God is using us for His plan whether people accept us or not. 2.  Faith requires trust and that means that we need to step outside of our own weakness and fear and choose Christ.

I pray that we keep Jesus’ rejection by his loved ones close to our hearts for the times when we wonder why we are being rejected, because God is still working in us. I pray that when Jesus is in our presence, we will act in faith, trusting fully in his might deeds and upon hearing his Word we will follow him. Have a blessed day.

Reading 1 2 SM 24:2, 9-17

King David said to Joab and the leaders of the army who were with him,
“Tour all the tribes in Israel from Dan to Beer-sheba
and register the people, that I may know their number.”
Joab then reported to the king the number of people registered:
in Israel, eight hundred thousand men fit for military service;
in Judah, five hundred thousand.

Afterward, however, David regretted having numbered the people,
and said to the LORD:
“I have sinned grievously in what I have done.
But now, LORD, forgive the guilt of your servant,
for I have been very foolish.”
When David rose in the morning,
the LORD had spoken to the prophet Gad, David’s seer, saying:
“Go and say to David, ‘This is what the LORD says:
I offer you three alternatives;
choose one of them, and I will inflict it on you.’”
Gad then went to David to inform him.
He asked: “Do you want a three years’ famine to come upon your land,
or to flee from your enemy three months while he pursues you,
or to have a three days’ pestilence in your land?
Now consider and decide what I must reply to him who sent me.”
David answered Gad: “I am in very serious difficulty.
Let us fall by the hand of God, for he is most merciful;
but let me not fall by the hand of man.”
Thus David chose the pestilence.
Now it was the time of the wheat harvest
when the plague broke out among the people.
The LORD then sent a pestilence over Israel
from morning until the time appointed,
and seventy thousand of the people from Dan to Beer-sheba died.
But when the angel stretched forth his hand toward Jerusalem to destroy it,
the LORD regretted the calamity
and said to the angel causing the destruction among the people,
“Enough now! Stay your hand.”
The angel of the LORD was then standing
at the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.
When David saw the angel who was striking the people,
he said to the LORD: “It is I who have sinned;
it is I, the shepherd, who have done wrong.
But these are sheep; what have they done?
Punish me and my kindred.”

Responsorial Psalm PS 32:1-2, 5, 6, 7

R. (see 5c) Lord, forgive the wrong I have done.
Blessed is he whose fault is taken away,
whose sin is covered.
Blessed the man to whom the LORD imputes not guilt,
in whose spirit there is no guile.
R. Lord, forgive the wrong I have done.
Then I acknowledged my sin to you,
my guilt I covered not.
I said, “I confess my faults to the LORD,”
and you took away the guilt of my sin.
R. Lord, forgive the wrong I have done.
For this shall every faithful man pray to you
in time of stress.
Though deep waters overflow,
they shall not reach him.
R. Lord, forgive the wrong I have done.
You are my shelter; from distress you will preserve me;
with glad cries of freedom you will ring me round.
R. Lord, forgive the wrong I have done.

Alleluia JN 10:27

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
My sheep hear my voice, says the Lord;
I know them, and they follow me.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel MK 6:1-6

Jesus departed from there and came to his native place,
accompanied by his disciples.
When the sabbath came he began to teach in the synagogue,
and many who heard him were astonished.
They said, “Where did this man get all this?
What kind of wisdom has been given him?
What mighty deeds are wrought by his hands!
Is he not the carpenter, the son of Mary,
and the brother of James and Joseph and Judas and Simon?
And are not his sisters here with us?”
And they took offense at him.
Jesus said to them,
“A prophet is not without honor except in his native place
and among his own kin and in his own house.”
So he was not able to perform any mighty deed there,
apart from curing a few sick people by laying his hands on them.
He was amazed at their lack of faith.