THE WORD
Heb 12,4-7.11-15 / Mk 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 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. He went around to the villages in the vicinity teaching.
IN OTHER WORDS
We, human beings, have many good traits but one of our glaring weaknesses is jealousy. Jealousy kills, literally and figuratively speaking. Jesus, in 'today's Gospel.
experienced it. When he came home and visited his hometown, people were perplexed his intelligence. They found him too brilliant and amazing. Instead of patting him on the back, they started to murmur behind his back: “Where did this man get all this? What kind of wisdom has been given him? Is he not the carpenter?” This biblical passage concludes: “ And they took offense at him.”
Jealousy is defined as “an unhappy or angry feeling of Wanting to have what someone else has.” Psychologically speaking, jealousy is a sign of inner insecurity and weakness. An insecure person feels bad when something good happens to someone. A weak person’s belief system is: Your promotion is my demotion; your success is my failure.
We seldom read in the Bible Jesus expressing his emotion. Today’s gospel gives us a glimpse of that. When Jesus felt that he was rejected by his own townmates and relatives, he said: “A prophet is not without honor except in his native place and among his own kin and in his own house.” He was so emotionally affected that the gospel ended with this narrative: “So he was not able to perform any mighty deed there. Apart from curing a few sick people by laying his hands on them.”
I can personally resonate with Jesus. Every time I experience rejection from other people because of jealousy, today’s gospel becomes my inspiration and strength. lt also helps me to look within if I become judgmental knowing that my judgment of other people does not define them; it only defines who I am.
- Glenn Paul Gomez, SVD (DWC—San Jose, Occ. Mindoro)
The Word in other words 2017
An annual project of Logos Publications, The WORD in Other Words Bible Diary contains daily scripture readings and reflections written by priest, brothers, and sisters of the three congregations founded by St. Arnold Janssen (the SVD, SSpS, and SSpSAP). It hopes to serve as a daily companion to readers who continually seek the correlation of the Word of God and human experience.
