Memorial of Saint John Vianney, Priest
Do I deduce a hint of jealousy in our gospel today? After being gone, traveling, teaching, preaching, and performing miracles, Jesus returns home. Jesus grew up in a simple Jewish family with likely very little wealth and basic social status. People in Jesus’ hometown know his roots, his family, his abilities. He is just the son of a carpenter for pete’s sake! Who does he think he is to come in there and dare try to teach? The most severe critics in our lives are often people who know us well. It might be a family member, a relative, a neighbor, someone we grew up with, a colleague, or someone we interacted with regularly. The people of Nazareth were quite certain that they knew everything there was to know about Jesus. Yet he comes at them with wisdom and mighty deeds. There’s no way this is the same Jesus.
Has anyone ever treated you this way? Have you ever treated anyone else this way? Yes, because we are human; we doubt, we criticize, we envy. We sometimes have it happen in our own household. Visualize yourself in this moment of the gospel, but in your own reality. Go back to your hometown (for me, it’s Sherwood, Ohio) and this guy that you knew growing up, Jesus, has been gone for a while. You have heard rumors about his work and rise to fame. He comes back to your church and your community, and begins preaching with authority and wisdom. What the heck? Who does this Jesus guy think he is? Isn’t he just the son of a basic handyman? His mother is Mary? He talks as if he is God. Jesus acknowledges that the most difficult place for a prophet to find support is in his “native place”.
Do we also reject Jesus? Every sin is a rejection of Jesus. We push him away with our anger, hatred, violence, ignorance, jealousy, greed, passivity, apathy, and more. But it doesn’t have to be this way; we are called to so much more, to joy, kindness, love, compassion, courage and hope. May we be reminded to embrace the presence of Jesus in our lives, the one who will astonish us with wisdom and mighty deeds. May our good God help us to be better at listening and loving, to think like Jesus, talk like Jesus, act like Jesus.
Peace,
Brandon Meyer