When I read
Mark’s Gospel today, I was reminded of the old adage, “Familiarity breeds
contempt” (Mark 6:1-6). Jesus returned
to his hometown of Nazareth and began to teach in its synagogue on the Sabbath. Instead of being dazzled by Jesus’ words, His
neighbors reacted negatively. “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?” As the Gospel sadly notes: “And
they took offense at him.” In other words, all they could
see was someone they thought they knew, and they were offended that He might
pretend to be someone greater and more mysterious than they knew. Jesus lamented their negative reaction
saying, “A prophet is not without honor except in his native
place and among his own kin and in his own house.”
So distressing was their rejection that “He
[Jesus] was not able to perform any mighty deeds there,” except for healing a few of the
sick.
This was not
the only time in Mark’s Gospel that those close to Jesus were unable to
recognize the depth and beauty of who He is.
Earlier, His own family had come to take Him back home believing that He
was so engrossed in His mission that He was “out of his mind” (Mark 3:20-21). And throughout the other gospels as well,
Jesus’ own disciples often seemed baffled by Jesus and proved unable to
understand who He truly was, with Peter even trying to dissuade Jesus from
going to Jerusalem and giving His life for others (Mark 8:31-33).
I find that
there’s more than one level of meaning in particular gospel passage. On one level, it reminds us of the mystery
and depth of Jesus’ true identity. Mark
portrays Jesus as both human and transcendent—a neighbor from Nazareth but also
one filled with God’s Spirit and able to heal and cast out demons (Mark 9:14-29),
powerful enough to walk on the water (Mark 6:45-56) and to quell the stormy sea
(Mark 4:35-41). So, from one point of
view, it’s not surprising that Jesus’ family and His neighbors in Nazareth
should struggle to understand who He truly is.
This is the struggle of faith to fully comprehend Jesus in which we all
share. Jesus posed this question himself
to His confused disciples at Caesarea Philippi: “Who
do you say that I am?” (Mark 8:27-30)
But on
another level, the failure of the people of Nazareth to accept Jesus reveals
how our preconceptions and prejudices can keep us from appreciating the beauty
and truth of the people and events that surround us every day. We can fail to recognize the dignity and
talents of the people with whom we live and work. We can turn a deaf ear to the sufferings and
joys of the people close to us. How sad that
the people of Nazareth didn’t recognize that among them lived Jesus, the
Christ, the Son of God. How sad for us
if we take for granted members of our own family or become indifferent to the
joys and sorrows of those close to us.
Faith of its nature is not bound by logic and reason. Certainly, at times we need to explain and articulate our faith, but in its essence, it’s a gift, often residing quietly and deeply within. It is from such a base that we listen to and absorb the words and message of Jesus – which of themselves and in their essence defy logic! May it always be so.
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