Why do we have so much trouble listening to those whom God sends? When the prophet Ezekiel is sent to the Israelites – his own people! – he has no expectation of being successful, since God tells him that they and their ancestors have revolted against me to this day. Yet when Ezekiel, God’s prophet, speaks on God’s behalf, God says, the people shall know that a prophet has been among them. Similarly, when, in Mark's Gospel, Jesus goes to his own native place, Nazareth, the people of that town presume to know him: Is he not the carpenter, the son of Mary? they ask. They fail to see who Jesus really is; they fail to listen to the one God sends. Like the people of Israel with Ezekiel, the people of Nazareth erect a barrier between themselves and the one who comes as God’s mouthpiece, Jesus. A prophet is not without honor except in his native place, Jesus intones. In Nazareth, there is no faith that what Jesus does comes from God, and so he is not able to perform any mighty deed there.
Paul encounters a similar barrier when he goes to preach the good news to the Corinthian community. Although he has borne insults, hardships, persecutions and constraints, Paul perseveres. He is there for the community; he cares about them, and so continues to write to them and to love them. His weaknesses allow God’s love to shine through. When the Lord tells him, My grace is sufficient for you, Paul knows full well that this is a gift he has not earned, but God gives it to him anyway. Grace is the experience of the presence of God; Paul knows God is there with him throughout this trial, helping Paul to bear the thorn in the flesh that is his lot.
Here, as always, God’s power is most seen, most visible, when we have need of him; in the throes of our own brokenness, God’s grace sustains us, and God’s power is made perfect through our weakness. Do we, like the people of Nazareth, presume a relationship with the Lord that does not fully recognize his identity? Is our relationship with him deep enough for him to work through our weakness? Is it profound enough for his grace to work in our lives? Are we ready to open ourselves to ongoing grace? Are our eyes on the Lord, our God, as in Psalm 123? In the end, faith does not make miracles happen. Rather, faith is an open door that gives Christ access to work in our lives. Faith permissions. But do we have faith? Will we allow God’s love to shine through our weakness, through our brokenness? Is our faith sufficient to bring down any barriers we might erect between ourselves and the one God sent?
This post is based on Fr. Pat’s Scripture class.
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