Martin Jumbam
The Universal Church celebrates Sunday, July 8, 2018, as the 14th Sunday of Ordinary Time, Year B. In the entrance antiphon we pray: “Your merciful love, O God, we have received in the midst of your temple. Your praise, O God, like your name reaches the ends of the earth; your right hand is filled with saving justice. Amen.”
Ezekiel, in the first reading, shows us how the people of Israel defied and rejected God’s prophets. In the Gospel, Mark also shows us Jesus facing the same fate when the people of his hometown would not accept him because, to them, he is simply the son of a local carpenter. They therefore wonder whether if God were to give knowledge to someone it would be to a mere carpenter, born in their own village? That s why they all turn their back on him. Even his close relatives think he is mad and want him confined to a mental institution. In the Epistle, from Second Corinthians, Saint Paul shows how his personal weakness leads him to experience all the more the power of God working through him in his apostolic work. In the course of this Eucharist, let us pray for the grace of wisdom to accept and follow our Lord, Jesus Christ, the Redeemer, who teaches us a powerful lesson today, that is, not to answer rejection with violence, or retaliation but rather with love and understanding.
First Reading: Ezekiel 2: 2-5.
As the Lord spoke to me, the spirit entered into me and set me on my feet, and I heard the one who was speaking say to me: Son of man, I am sending you to the Israelites, rebels who have rebelled against me; they and their ancestors have revolted against me to this very day. Hard of face and obstinate of heart are they to whom I am sending you. But you shall say to them: Thus says the Lord God! And whether they heed or resist--for they are a rebellious house-- they shall know that a prophet has been among them.
V/ The word of the Lord.
R/ Thanks be to God.
Comment
Brothers and sisters in the Lord, there are 16 prophetical books in the Bible – four are the works of the Major Prophets – Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel and Daniel. Twelve are attributed to the Minor Prophets – Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi. These are considered ‘minor’, not because their works are of less importance than those of the Major Prophets, but because they are generally much shorter. Whereas Ezekiel, for example, is forty eight chapters long, one of the Minor Prophets, Joel, is only four chapters long.
The main task of the prophets was to speak for or on behalf of God to their community. Their major task was not to foretell the future but rather to foretell God’s presence in the events affecting their nation. In a world that did not always clearly separate issues of religion and politics, the prophets reminded the kings that God was also present and active in the political and social crises of the community.
Church historians tell us that the prophet Ezekiel lived at the most critical period of the history of Israel, which saw the destruction of Jerusalem and the deportation of part of its population to Babylon. Ezekiel was a member of the priestly family. In the year 597 BC, while still a young man, he was among the first group of people King Nebuchadnezzar deported from Jerusalem. Like the other prophets, Ezekiel was called by God to urge the people of Israel to remain faithful to him and his covenant. Ezekiel’s message was addressed principally to his fellow exiles but also to those who remained in Judah after the deportation.
The book of Ezekiel is the third book of the Major Prophets, after Isaiah and Jeremiah. It is usually divided into two parts. The first part (chapters 1-24), from where our reading of this day is taken, consists almost entirely of reproaches and threats addressed to Israel on account of its transgressions that led to the disaster of the exile. The second part (chapters 25-48) seeks to console the exiles and raise their spirits. The figure of the Lord – particularly his presence in the midst of his people, which shows itself in what the prophet calls “the glory of God” – is the key element in Ezekiel’s work.
The passage selected for our meditation is the call of Ezekiel which comes in the land of exile, Babylon. How does it happen? God breathes his Spirit into Ezekiel. It is the breath of life that is reminiscent of the God’s breath in Adam at creation. As a life force, every time the spirit affects Ezekiel, it is to set him on his feet and lift him up so that he can better hear the word of God or see what is happening in the Temple of Jerusalem, or in Babylon. It is therefore an inner energy that transforms the prophet and helps him to hear or see things he could not see or hear on his own if left alone, for he is a mere “son of man”.
The book defines the people of Israel as a rebellious and arrogant people, who reject God’s word. Ezekiel warns them that their sin is grave and will lead to punishment from God whose patience with them is running out.
One would think that Ezekiel was talking to us in Cameroon today, especially to our leaders, who have specialized in embezzling public funds without paying any heed to the warning from our bishops and other religious leaders. In his Post Synodal Apostolic Exhortation, Ecclesia in Africa, Saint John Paul II says that, “Africa’s economic problems are compounded by the dishonesty of corrupt government leaders who, in connivance with domestic or foreign private interests, divert national resources for their own profit and transfer public funds to private account in foreign banks. This is plain theft, whatever the legal camouflage may be.”
See how many of our leaders of yesterday are today languishing in jail, accused of embezzlement of public funds. But even if we are not all guilty financial embezzlement, are we not also guilty of acts of disobedience of many of God’s commandments? Is this senseless war, which our political leaders are prosecuting in our country today not part of what Ezekiel is warning the leaders of his day about? Instead of heeding the call of distress our bishops have sent out, our leaders prefer violence to dialogue that would end this blood-letting in our land.
Let us therefore pray to God to turn the hearts of our leaders away from the excessive pursuit of the material things to the detriment of the welfare and wellbeing of our people. We make our supplication through Jesus Christ the risen Lord, who lives and reigns with the Father in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God forever and ever. Amen.
Second Reading: 2 Corinthians 12: 7-10.
Brothers and sisters: That I, Paul, might not become too elated, because of the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, an angel of Satan, to beat me, to keep me from being too elated. Three times I begged the Lord about this, that it might leave me, but he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness." I will rather boast most gladly of my weaknesses, in order that the power of Christ may dwell with me. Therefore, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and constraints, for the sake of Christ; for when I am weak, then I am strong.
V/ The word of the Lord.
R/ Thanks be to God.
Comment
In his second letter to his Christians of Corinth, Saint Paul strongly defends the authenticity of his own ministry and his authority as an apostle. He reminds his converts of Corinth that in so far as he had established the church in Corinth, he had a right to say how he thought it should be managed.
Our reading is taken from the final fiery chapters in which Saint Paul strongly defends his rights and privileges as an apostle. However, those rights and privileges do not make him proud; on the contrary, he shows us the necessity of turning to the Lord in all humility whenever we experience difficulties, especially with our faith. He teaches us that awareness of our shortcomings should humble us and lead us to put all our trust in God.
This passage also shows us what attitude to take faced with our own weaknesses. He advises to acknowledge them and then pray for the grace to overcome them. We should turn to God and draw on the strength that comes from him. How often God has spoken to us in our hearts: “My grace is sufficient for you”, you have my help to enable you to overcome all trials and difficulties. Lord, teach us to be humble in our ways and deeds, for you exalt those who humble themselves before you, Lord. Grant that we all may be saved by your Word. We make our prayer through Christ our Lord, Amen.
Gospel: 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.
V/ The Gospel of the Lord.
R/ Praise be to you, Lord Jesus Christ
Comment
In today’s Gospel Jesus returns to his home place of Nazareth. Like the other towns of Galilee, Nazareth too has to hear the Good News of the kingdom. When Jesus teaches in the local synagogue, many of his townspeople are astonished at his performance. They wonder at the origin of his teaching and the nature of his wisdom, as well as the miracles that are done through him. After wondering aloud about the source of his wisdom, his neighbours then move to more familiar territory and focus on what they know about Jesus. They talk about his job (a carpenter), then about his family. It is easier to handle Jesus as a mere carpenter than Jesus as a prophet. Saint Mark says that they would not accept him. For them, Jesus is just an ordinary villager, a carpenter and that cancels out his new wisdom and works of miracle.
Even Jesus’ own relations do not accept him either. Saint Mark earlier talks of how his relatives thought he was mad and went out to seize him (Mk 3:21). Jesus’ experience of rejection in Nazareth renders him unable to perform any miracles among his own people. This is an extraordinary statement about the human Jesus: people’s lack of trust limits his ministry. He is profoundly affected by the way his people react to him. Distrust disables him and so he moves elsewhere because a prophet is never accepted in his own country, among his relations and in his own house. His teaching shows an authority and wisdom that is unfamiliar to his home people and relations.
Some of his teaching is certainly too radical for their liking. He preaches love of the enemy, whereas the teaching of Moses, which his villagers accept and practice, calls for an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. Then who is this little boy to tell them to love their enemy? Is this not the carpenter’s son, himself a carpenter? He is rejecting divorce, preaching perseverance and peace and love. The words of wisdom they hear cannot come from a little boy of the village, like Jesus. Where does he get all this wisdom from? And how come he is able to perform the miracles everyone says he is performing in other places: curing the sick, expelling demons? Can this true? This is the ‘kongossa’ that is making the rounds of Nazareth about Jesus. At their disbelief, Jesus cannot perform miracles in his own town.
Their familiarity with him proves to be an obstacle to a proper assessment and appreciation of his works. It blinds them and prevents them from seeing beyond the mere carpenter they know to seeing the prophet that Christ is.
What is Christ’s answer to rejection? He merely expresses astonishment at their lack of faith and moves on to another territory where he is better accepted and where he performs miracles for those who accept him. Christ rejects revenge. For example, when the Zebedee brothers, James and John, ask him if they should bring down fire from heaven on the Samaritan village that does not receive them, Christ is very clear in his response. He strongly rebukes them and they move on to another village (Lk 9: 54-55).
What lesson am I taking home from this reading? Jesus teaches me a powerful lesson: how to react to rejection. When people would not accept me or reject my ideas outright, Christ tells me that seeking to revenge or retaliate is not the answer. He encourages me to start by discerning and assessing the situation to understand it better before taking any action, if any. That is what is expected of us all, brothers and sisters. Instead of rushing into radical action, like calling fire from heaven on poor villagers – which is the equivalent of this senseless and unnecessary war our leaders have declared on our people -- we should reassess the situation we are faced with, no matter how painful, so as to come to a better understanding of what is going on before reacting. Our lives would be a lot less stressful if, like Christ, we merely express our surprise at people lack of faith in us and go about our own business. Having our way in everything happening around us is not always a good ingredient for peace. We pray for gift of discernment before action in all that we do today. We pray that our political leaders should better assess the situation in our country today and heed our bishops’ call for dialogue that would silence the guns in our land forever. May they have the wisdom to heed this call of distress from our Bishops. We make our prayer through Christ, our Lord. Amen.
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