Sunday, July 6, 2003
Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Ezekiel 2:2-5 – There was a prophet among them
Psalm 122:1-4
2 Corinthians 12:7-10 – The strength of Christ resides in me
Mark 6:1-6 – Jesus in the synagogue of Nazareth

Commentary

All of the first part of the Gospel of Mark, up until the great crisis (8:7-30), can be divided in three sections.  Each one of them begins with a resume of Jesus’ activity, followed by a reference to the disciples; then, each section shows how the conflict develops that will lead Jesus to the cross; it will speak of this conflict clearly, openly, in the second part (from 8:31 onwards).   The first section reveals that the Jewish leadership was unable to understand him, and the Pharisees and Herodians made plans to kill him (3:6).  In the second, the conflict revolves around his own followers, his country, his home (see 3:20-21 and 6:4).  The third prepares us for his death, anticipated by the execution of the Baptizer.  The story that we comment on today is the concluding unit of this second section (to which is added a brief resume that begins the third: Jesus visited the surrounding villages, teaching the people [6:6]).

If we know this one so well, where did he get this ability?  But the question is not meant to discover the cause, but rather to question his authority, the origin of the word that he speaks.  It is a question of unbelief (lack of faith), and therefore he cannot perform the miracles there (the Greek text makes an interesting play on the words: perhaps it would be translated “lacking power [edúnato] to use his power [dúnamin])”.

It is clear that Jesus’ signs (frequently known as miracles, but really expressions of power) point out his mission, that is, his announcing the Kingdom (see Luke 11:20), and this is why they are directly related to faith.  Jesus visits the villages preaching, teaching (didaskein).  This verb is interesting in Mark since it always has Jesus as it’s subject except in two cases: in one (6:30) the Twelve are teaching, sent by Jesus with his authority, and in the other (7:7) Jesus calls the Pharisees hypocrites and cites Isaiah (29:13) saying they honor God with their lips, not with the hearts, since they teach doctrines that are merely human.  Only Jesus, the one sent from God, can teach, and those who allow themselves to be taught by him, the rest teach empty words, they separate people from God’s way.

The list of Jesus’ relatives reveals basically that he is a person well known in his village.  Precisely because he is known, he lacks the authority to speak.  He is a carpenter (or better a manual laborer), his hands are meant to work solid materials, not to makes signs of power.  He is one of us, he can’t teach with wisdom.  This is the cause of scandal, of the stumbling block.

But Jesus’ saying (probably a word that his been imposed on the historical Jesus) not only reveals that he was not honored in his own place, but also that he himself identified with the treatment of the prophets.  Most likely Jesus saw his ministry as prophetic, and his signs in the same category.  It was a prophet-less time, and a prophet was awaited, by many, as a predecessor of the Messiah, or of the messianic times.  Especially for Matthew and Mark, this prophet is John, but this does not take away the fact that Jesus himself manifested prophetic characteristics.  Jesus, like many or all of the prophets, is rejected.  His word is not heeded, but this does not mean that it is empty, or mere human words.  Jesus preaches a God who has decided to rule, who wishes to bring about his will among people.  Like the prophets, Jesus announces the will of God, a God who reveals himself as a father (abbá); like the prophets, Jesus can speak in the name of God because he is in harmony with Him; like the prophets, Jesus teaches God’s ways, which are frequently rejected by humankind; and like the prophets, Jesus is frequently rejected because of this, is not honored and his life is heading to a failure, God still has a word to say, and it will be spoken in the Pasch. 

Reflection

The scholars tend to say that the first part of the Gospel of Mark (which ends in the “Confession of Peter”) is divided in several smaller parts; each of these parts begins with a resume – usually called a “summary” – of the life of Jesus; after each of them comes a reference to the apostles.  In this scheme, today’s Gospel is the end of the second of these three smaller sections that are characterized by a progressive increase in the conflict that Jesus causes when others meet him.  The text strikes a key point:  Jesus – who is presented here as a prophet – finds himself completely lacking the support of his own people (his friends and relatives).  The “failure” of Jesus is accentuated: in the third part it already begins to present the “defeat” of the Lord anticipated in the death of the Baptizer.

It is characteristic of the Gospel of Mark to present its readers Jesus’ apparent failure and loneliness, the scandal of the cross.  This cross is the same one that is shared by all those persecuted for his name, as was Mark’s community.  In all the second part of this Gospel we find the Lord attempting – alone with his chosen ones – to reveal the sense of a “crucified Lord” that will be discovered by the Centurion – in the absence of any exterior sign whatsoever that would justify it – as the “Son of God”.

The inhabitants of Nazareth do not believe what they are hearing: from where did this synagogue teaching come? “But we know him and we know all his relatives”.  The wisdom with which he speaks, the sign of the Kingdom that flows from his life, do not make sense to those who know him.  This is the problem:  “to those who know him”.  The fact is that the novelty of God always goes beyond what is already known, always is beyond what is commonly “known”, but not with a heavenly beyond, rather beyond what we hoped for, beyond what we imagined; we are not far from the happiness of Jesus because God hides these things from the wise and prudent and reveals them to the simple; we are not far from the incomprehension of the parables: not because they are difficult, bur precisely the opposite, because they are simple.  The “always greater God” confuses us, and this brings us to realize that we lack faith if we are not open to the free gifts and the eternal novelty of God, and the divine closeness.  Therefore, for this lack of faith, Jesus “could not perform any miracles there”: those who do not discover in Him the signs of the Kingdom cannot grow in faith, and do not discover therefore that Jesus is the one sent from God, the prophet who comes to announce a Kingdom of Good News.  This is scandalous for those who cannot accept Jesus, because “no one is a prophet in one’s own hometown”.  And perhaps this also scandalizes us … or not?

In the eyes of his fellow villagers, Jesus is seen as just one more person like themselves.  They did not know how to see a prophet in him.  A prophet is one who speaks in the name of God, and we find it difficult to see in one like ourselves a person chosen and sent by God.  It is not easy to see our own time as a special time (kairós) prepared by God from all time.  But in that very moment, God chose a specific man to pronounce his word of Good News for a tired people worn out by bad news.   It is not easy to recognize God’s passing through our lives, especially when this passing is dressed in common clothes, just like ours.  Sometimes we would prefer God to become visible in a Hollywood-type spectacle, but the one sent by God, God’s own Son, eats at our tables, walks our streets and dresses in our clothes.   It is someone we know but do not recognize.  This person’s word is a word spoken by God and through which God speaks to us.  His common laborer’s hands are hands that perform signs, but so often our eyes are not prepared to see in these signs the presence of God’s passing through our history. 

Many times we ourselves are equally unaware of God present in our history; we do not recognize our prophets.  It is much more spectacular to see a witness in Calcutta than in the hundreds of thousands of  examples of our brothers and sisters every day in Latin American lands who labor, wearing themselves out trying to survive even when it costs them their lives.  It is much more marvelous to see the miracles announced by itinerant and televised preachers, than accept the daily sign of solidarity and fraternity.  It is much easier to hope for and escape to a “maybe tomorrow” than to see God’s presence today, to sow seeds of life and hope in our own time and space.  All of this would be easier, but would it not be letting Jesus once again pass us by? 

For Personal Consideration:

-Without pretending to be a recognized “prophet”, I know I should be at least an anonymous prophet, an ordinary Christian who takes seriously his prophetic duty: to speak the truth, to live the truth, to denounce lies wherever they are found, to be incorruptible myself, and to fight all corruption that I might encounter.

-In this sense, it is logical that I would be misunderstood by many of those around me, especially those who profit by the lies and corruption that I denounce.  Do I know how to find in myself sufficient strength to hold my position, without becoming discouraged, without becoming depressed, without blaming myself, with the self confidence of knowing that I am doing what I should do, and that it is “normal” for my community to reject me, as they did Jesus, for maintaining an attitude that is consistent with my Christian faith? 

For the Group’s Consideration

For some time now it has been said in many Christian circles, including the religious life – which is said to be prophetic by its very nature – that this is not the time for prophesy but rather for wisdom; that we are not now like the Israelites in the Exodus, but rather like the time of Exile, that what is called for is not denouncing but knowing how to resist in silence… This would be the maximum prophesy possible at this time…  What do we think about this?

In the Jubilee Year 2000, the Church asked forgiveness for some sins of the past.  The prophets should tell us why we should repent of the sins of today (not of the past), and then repent and ask for forgiveness.  Which are today’s sins, so timely that many do not consider them sins?

We can all see that we are not in times favorable to utopia, or militancy, or prophesy…  Two questions emerge:  First: Why is this happening? And second: Could it be that precisely when the mood is so much against utopia and prophesy, we now need more than ever prophets who will awaken us and shake us up?

Prophesy is not the duty of special, talented, extraordinary persons… rather the duty of every Christian, for the fact of being a follower of Jesus, and of every baptized person, for having been anointed in Christ the Priest, Prophet and King.  How should any Christian community, for example our own, live its prophetic ministry toward society and toward the Church?

For the Prayer of the Faithful

-For all the churches, that the announcement of the Gospel message bring to life the truth that is proclaimed in words, let us pray to the Lord.

-For all the nations of our world, that they come together in the defense of justice, liberty and the rights of each and every citizen of this world, let us pray to the Lord.

-For all those who in their youth were idealistic fighters for a better world and today are comfortable and resigned to the world as it is, that God will bring alive again in them the best that can still be found in the hidden depths of their hearts, let us pray to the Lord.

-For the prophets of our time, as few as they may be, those who denounce the injustices, the lies and the exclusive character of our society, that their message be heard, let us pray to the Lord.

-For the prophesy within the Church: that there be an atmosphere that allows for confidence, for the fraternal sharing of public opinion, frank and sincere dialogue, freedom of theological reflection, let us pray to the Lord.

-For the “lay prophets”, men and women free thinkers who with their voices or their pens give shape in the public opinion to the best impulses that the rest of us do not know how to express, that they are never lacking among us, let us pray to the Lord.

Community Prayer

O God our Loving Parent, who constantly calls us to conversion through the invitations that so frequently are not even noticed; we beg you to open our ears and our hearts so that we be always attentive to your Word, coming to us wrapped in whatsoever garments, and that we allow ourselves to be transformed by it and carry it out with enthusiasm. Through Christ our Lord.