Jesus says to us in today’s Gospel, “A prophet is not without honor except in his native place and among his own kin and in his own house.” Jesus experienced the sting of offense as his “tribe,” the people of his hometown, rejected his teaching and his ministry. I wonder how many of us have experienced this same treatment when we’ve attempted to share the Gospel with those closest to us. Witnessing to friends and family can be very difficult. Perhaps today is a day to be enlivened, empowered, and emboldened to walk as Christ’s disciples and find our prophetic voice in our closest circles.
Prior to my conversion to Catholicism, I served in pastoral ministry for a couple decades. I had been working as a pharmacist for several years when I heard God call me into the ministry. Subsequently, I earned master’s and doctoral degrees from United Theological Seminary. My family thought I was crazy! That’s not even a strong enough statement. They thought I had lost my mind! No one in my family of origin understood what had happened to me; no one could grasp a call from God. Someone even said to me, “who are you to think that God would speak to you?!”
Jesus’ acquaintances basically said the same thing. Isn’t this Mary and Joseph’s boy? Who does he think he is? He’s just one of us, after all . . . It’s funny how human nature doesn’t consider someone legitimate in their wisdom or expertise unless they come from outside the community. I’ve heard pastors say that they can preach a particular message and the congregation doesn’t hear it, but a visiting pastor can take the pulpit, preach the same homily, and everybody goes wild. I’ve heard spouses say that they try to express something to their spouse and it falls on deaf ears, but someone else says it and the message is received loud and clear. Anyone who grew -up in a small town knows about Jesus’ experience. Everyone knows everyone and each and every neighbor is familiar and known. Can anything good come from Nazareth? (John 1:46)
I find it sort of ironic, Jesus’ phrase, “A prophet is not without honor except in his native place.” As I think about the prophets of the Old Testament, most of them experienced dishonor. Ancient prophets were sought out and revered, but when they spoke a convicting word from God, the people turned on them and despised them. Key to their witness, however, is that they were true to themselves, true to their calling, and bold in their witness.
You and I are called to live and share the Gospel every day with everyone. Often that is hardest to do with those closest to us – our nuclear family, extended family, friends, neighbors, co-workers. The difficulty stems from a variety of emotional and relational factors. You know what those are for you. Today, how might we overcome our reluctance to be “prophets in our hometown?”
Jesus knew who he was and walked confidently in his True Self. We can follow his example and seek the grace to grow in confidence, comfortable in our own skin. Jesus spoke the words he heard from his Heavenly Father. Like the prophets of old, Jesus received a word from the Father and delivered it to the people. He was receptive and responsive to the Father’s voice. Jesus was courageous. He never backed down or shied away from the word he was to speak or the action he was to take. He did his Father’s will always, even to the point of death.
St Teresa of Ávila defined humility as walking in the truth of who you are. Today, let us exercise true humility and walk confidently in who we are as unique children of God. Let us be receptive and responsive to the Father’s voice, sharing what we hear out of that place of quiet confidence. God may give you or me a timely word to share with someone today. Let’s not miss that opportunity. God may nudge us to perform a particular charitable act today. Let’s not walk away from it. Today, may we receive the grace of courage to respond to God’s initiative, even when it’s difficult or when we feel afraid or self-conscious.
Jesus was the embodiment of virtue. Above all, as we exercise our prophetic voice, as we share and live the Gospel, we must do so through the exercise of virtue. I think sometimes we struggle to live our Christian faith with those closest to us because, ironically, we’ve tried to do so without virtue, without love, and it’s backfired so we become shy and hesitant to try again. Sometimes we try too hard with our loved ones and come across in our zeal as pushy or coercive. As my grandma always said, “you catch more flies with honey than vinegar.” Today, let us live and speak the Gospel in our inner circles sweetly with conviction, confidence, and courage, and most of all with love. Thanks be to God!
Elizabeth Wells