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 Joses 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.

Opening Prayer: Lord God, your Word gives me life. I have nothing to fear for you are beside me and dwell in the depths of my heart. I can love with a supernatural love not because I am naturally strong, but because I am strong in the Spirit and filled with your grace. 

Encountering the Word of God

1. They Took Offense at Him: In the Gospel of Mark, Jesus returns to Nazareth. He has been in Capernaum and ministering around the Sea of Galilee. He had the custom of teaching in synagogues of Galilee on the Sabbath. When he teaches in the synagogue at Nazareth, his teaching astonishes the people. For close to thirty years they knew him as the carpenter (artisan) and as the son of Mary. They knew his cousins, the sons of Clopas and his wife Mary. Clopas was likely the brother of Joseph. Two of Clopas’ sons, James and Simon, would later became the first two bishops of Jerusalem (see Pitre, The Jewish Roots of Mary, 116-126). As they heard Jesus teach in the synagogue, they wondered where Jesus acquired his wisdom. They knew he did not attend a rabbinic school in Jerusalem. They knew that Jesus was a carpenter by trade and not a priest, scribe (scholar of the Law), or Pharisee. And yet Jesus taught in a way that far surpassed the teaching of the religious authorities. The people also marveled at the mighty deeds Jesus did. They heard of his power to heal, to cast out demons, to restore the dead to life, and to calm the seas. Despite all this, they took offense at him. The people of Jesus’ hometown did not let the seed of his Word find fertile ground. “The mighty works that hostile opponents, demons, diseases, and even death could not stop, are blocked – temporarily – by a greater obstacle: unbelief. It is not that Jesus’ power is limited, but people are hindered from experiencing his power by their refusal to believe in him” (Healy, The Gospel of Mark, 111).

2. Obstinate of Heart: The First Reading, taken from Ezekiel, highlights how obstinate hearts refuse to welcome God’s Word. The Lord commissions Ezekiel to preach to the children of Israel. Ezekiel is filled by the Holy Spirit, who strengthens him and raises him. Just as Moses was sent to Pharoah, who had a hardened heart, Ezekiel will be sent to the Israelites who have become stubborn of heart like Pharoah of old. Ezekiel is called “son of man.” The title is likely a reference to Adam and how Ezekiel has inherited Adam’s priestly and prophetic roles. “Like Ezekiel, Jesus Christ is both priest and prophet whose mission is to proclaim judgment on Jerusalem and its Temple and inaugurate a new Temple and a new liturgy” (Ignatius Catholic Study Bible: Ezekiel, 19). 

3. My Grace is Sufficient: Paul wrote the Second Letter to the Corinthians, our Second Reading, to defend his apostolic authority and ministry against those who doubted or denied it. Paul wants to resume his collection for the Christians suffering in Jerusalem and appeals to the Corinthians to be generous (Ignatius Catholic Study Bible: New Testament, 311). “Unlike the false teachers (11:21), he boasts, not in himself, but in the power of grace made effective through his weakness (12:9-10)” (Ignatius Catholic Study Bible: New Testament, 312). Paul boasts of his heavenly journeys (12:1-10) to counter the claims of his opponents, who brag that their credentials and leadership skills outmatch his own. Paul insists otherwise: unlike them, he follows the footsteps of Christ by suffering and laying down his life in service to others (Ignatius Catholic Study Bible: New Testament, 326). Paul has suffered for the sake of the Gospel and continues to suffer. “Paul’s petition for relief [from suffering] was denied (12:8), indicating that his suffering was serving a higher purpose in the plan of God (Rom 8:28). Grace was given him to endure these trials and make him rely upon the Lord. His experience shows that God gives us what we need and not always what we want” (Ignatius Catholic Study Bible: New Testament, 327).

Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, I see myself in Ezekiel and Paul. I have been entrusted with a mission to preach the Good News. I often meet opposition, hardness of heart, stubbornness, and indifference. Do not let me be discouraged, but fill me with your Spirit and pour your grace into my heart.

Living the Word of God: When I preach the Gospel, do I rely on my own natural strength and talents, or do I sincerely trust in God’s work through me? Am I spending time in prayer, thanking God for any successes in my ministry and asking for forgiveness when pride or vanity creeps in?