FOURTEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

Today’s readings introduce Jesus as a prophet and explain how prophets and other messengers from God inevitably suffer rejection. The readings teach us that Christianity is not a religion for those who seek recognition, success or power. The prophet Ezekiel is warned by God that, though he has been called by Yahweh and sent with a message to the people of Israel, they will almost certainly refuse to hear and accept his message. Those who accept the call of God and seek to follow Him may face indifference and hostility, contempt and scorn, weakness, hardship and persecution, insults and rejection.

When Jesus came to his hometown Nazareth people were "amazed at the gracious words that came from his lips." But they asked one another: “Where did this man get all this? They knew him only as a carpenter from a poor family, with no formal training in Mosaic Law. Certainly they thought he had gone far beyond what one of his status as a humble carpenter should go. They also said that Jesus had no distinguished lineage. He is identified as “the son of Mary” The response of Jesus to this was “No prophet is accepted in his native place.” Those who accept the call of God and seek to follow Him may face indifference and hostility, contempt and scorn, weakness, hardship and persecution, insults and rejection.

We might have experienced the pain of rejection caused by hurts, wounds, betrayal, divorce, abandonment, violated trust, trauma, neglect or various forms of abuse. What about rejection by those closest to us? Let us check also the other side of the coin. How often do we discount God’s agents through prejudice? How often do we fail to see God’s image in them because of our own hardheartedness? We must realize that God's power is always available to transform even the most unlikely people.

What should be our reactions to the rejections and failures in our life? One way of channeling out is to keep anger in our hearts, feeling depressed, accusing others for our failures, becoming hyper critical and causing troubles to others. We should remember the comment made by Nathaniel about Nazareth that “Can anything good come from Nazareth?”

By coping with discouragement and failures Jesus points beyond himself to the power of the Father. The cross of Jesus becomes the most striking symbol of weakness pointing beyond itself, beyond the brokenness of Jesus to the glory of his resurrection. New life emerges out of dereliction. This theme so constant in the writings of Paul, is applied by the apostle to his own life.

St. Paul has come to learn that his own weaknesses are not a problem for God. Paul’s human limitations, which refuse to go away, not only force him to be more realistic about himself, they also force him to change his image of God. Paul discovers through his own weaknesses that God’s grace work through human frailty: “So I shall be very happy to make my weaknesses my special boast so that the power of Christ may stay over me, and that is why I am content with my weaknesses…For it is when I am weak that I am strong.”

Nazareth was the beginning of a new road for Jesus. Paul’s thorn in the flesh was the occasion for a whole new way for looking at God and at himself. And we know from experience that when we admit our failures and limitations, that exercise in honesty can mark the beginning of anew understanding. If God can take failure in his stride, we might even end up boasting about God’s fantastic style.