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Manila Bulletin devider Opinion devider He was amazed at their lack of faith

He was amazed at their lack of faith

Published Jan 30, 2024 10:45 pm

REFLECTIONS TODAY

Gird your loins

What a contrasting reception of Jesus! 


Whereas people in the mostly pagan Decapolis were “amazed” when Jesus drove “legion of demons” out of the possessed man (Mk 5:20), in his native Nazareth Jesus is “amazed” at people’s lack of faith. After all, Jesus looks “so ordinary” to them. 


He is not even worthy of the designation “rabbi” (teacher) because he is not known to have formally studied the Scriptures and has not been “ordained” as a scribe to have an office of authority over the people. 


His family in Nazareth are known to be ordinary folks. 


Has Jesus not worked as “carpenter” in tandem with his father Joseph before he became an itinerant preacher?


Jesus can only remark, “A prophet is not without honor except in his native place and among his own kin and in his own house” (v 4). In Jesus, God turns the values of the world upside down. 


Paul writes, “God chose the foolish of the world to shame the wise, and God chose the weak of the world to shame the strong, and God chose the lowly and despised of the world… to reduce to nothing those who are something” (1 Cor 1:27-28). 


The apostle may not be thinking of the lowly condition of most Christian believers, but of Christ Jesus who “for your sake he became poor although he was rich, so that by his poverty you might become rich” (2 Cor 8:9).

Gospel • Mark 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.

Source: “366 Days with the Lord 2024,” St. Paul’s, 7708 St. Paul Rd., SAV, Makati City (Phils.); Tel.: 632-895-9701; E-mail: [email protected]; Website: http://www.stpauls.ph.

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