Sunday readings in brief 14 B
Eze 2:2-5; Ps 123; 2 Cor 12:7-10; Mk 6:1-6
Rejection
Have you ever faced rejection in your life? Have you been to a place where the residents did not welcome you? The feeling of rejection can be very devastating, especially when it comes as a surprise. There are many reasons why people reject others. Sometimes we face rejection because of our own bad character and faults or the character and ignorance of the people that reject us. Racism, cultural imperialism, superiority complex, political or moral position, beliefs, etc., make people reject others. However, it does not mean that every person who is rejected is bad. Jesus himself was rejected.
In the first reading, we hear how God called and sent the prophet Ezekiel to a people who had violated his covenant with them. The people of Israel had made a covenant with God but many times, they not only violated it but also rejected and even killed the prophets that God sent to bring them back (Jer 37:11-16). God is instructing Ezekiel to speak to the people on his behalf hoping that they would hear him and change their ways. If they do not change, when the time for reckoning comes, they would at least know that there was a prophet in their midst.
In the Gospel today, Jesus is faced with the same rejection that the prophets faced. To make matters even graver, his own people rejected him. These people thought that they knew who Jesus was and because of this, they dismissed him though his words and signs clearly showed that he was not an ordinary preacher or like the pharisee preachers of his time. In those days, a carpenter’s job was regarded as a low-class occupation. The family of Jesus also was not among the learned and rich families of Nazareth. The rejection of Jesus by his own people was because of his humble background. They thought they knew him well.
In our society today, we witness this kind of rejection. Good leaders are rejected by the masses because of their humble background and humility. Society today would rather have leaders from dynasties, and wealthy backgrounds even if they are corrupt and do not perform their duties, than people from poor class or low cast even if they are honest, dignified, and hard working.
In the Church, also we face the same challenges. People go far looking for miracles to heal them of their diseases and miseries or make the prosperous, leaving at home true prophets of God who know the real source of their problems. The so-called prophets of the 21st Century also travel long distances to sell miracles to ignorant people who want to prosper without hard work. Every Sunday the priests in our parishes break the Word of God and the Eucharist for us to nourish us but we want none of it. Instead, we travel far and wide looking for the merchants of miracles and pay them huge amounts so that they make them prosper.
St. Paul, faced with the same rejection and difficulties in the ministry, finds consolation in the grace of God. Instead of complaining of the challenges of the mission, he considers them as a thorn in his flesh that help him not to boast about his accomplishments but instead hope in the grace of God. Paul realized that all he needed was not a guarantee of success in his mission but the assurance of the grace of God with him. Mother Teresa once said to a Journalist, “God does not require that we be successful only that we be faithful”.
Dear friends, let us keenly introspect our faith and see whether we are true followers of Jesus or we have rejected him for prophets who tell them what they want to hear. Again, let us know today that God has not called us to seek greatness but to trust in his grace, which is sufficient in all our situations.
Have a blessed Sunday.
Fr. Lawrence Muthee, SVD
