Today’s Gospel, presents the people of Nazareth (Jesus’ hometown) as people who knew Jesus as the son of a carpenter. They were surprised and amazed to hear his great knowledge and the power of his words that moved them so powerfully.
This Gospel shows the human side of Jesus who is surprised at people’s lack of faith. Because the people of Nazareth knew him as he was growing up, because they know his family, they could not imagine him being able to preach or perform miracles in their midst. The people only remembered him for who he was as child growing up among them.
The theme of Mark’s Gospel: Who is Jesus? People knew the human person of Jesus of Nazareth but they struggled to know Jesus as the Son of God. Many of the first Christians were Jewish. However, Mark’s community was mostly a Gentile community who have been experiencing persecution. Mark reassures his community by showing them how Jesus was rejected. He shows us all the possible consequence of Christian discipleship is being rejected but holding on to God’s great mercy.
Without faith, we can not please God. We must wait and pray that God’s will is done in every circumstance of our lives. Our family plays an important role in shaping us and forming our self-identity. In family life, we find a safe place to discover who we are and who God calls us to be. Our family and friends’ influences can lead us toward a deeper relationship with God. We must not give up on one another. We are all at different points in our faith journey. It is journey that has at its core a true willingness to let go and to let God. Our way of doing things is not God’s way.
Jesus was a person who allowed his relationship with God to be the most important thing in his life. Through Jesus’ words and life, he brings faith into a world who often doubts and questions what God can do. As we mature in our faith, we see Jesus not as the child in Nazareth, but the one who comes to show us the way to God. Jesus’ life led many people to have faith in him as the Son of God. However, not everyone could recognize the adult Jesus in their midst.
St. Paul tells us that even in our weakness, God’s grace is revealed. St. Paul goes on to say, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” No matter what you are going through, keep your eyes fixed on the Lord and trust in his mercy. As a family of believers, we pray that God will strengthen our faith and keep our eyes fixed on God pleading for his mercy.
As we celebrate Independence Day in the United States, may we and every nation on earth never forget the mercy God has shown us. May we never lack the faith necessary to see God in our sisters and brothers around us. May God’s Holy Spirit bring glad tidings to all who are searching for God.