Amazed at Unbelief!

Wednesday, February 5, 2025

Heb 12:4-7, 11-15; Mk 6:1-6

Today’s Gospel highlights Jesus’ homecoming and rejection by his own villagers.

Though his homecoming is not a pleasant experience, Jesus teaches how to move on in life as a missionary of God.  

The Gospel describes that the people of his hometown took offense at Jesus. But for what? It is because of the popularity that Jesus enjoyed, the words of wisdom he uttered, and the miracles he performed in God’s name!

Apparently, they were not pleased with the evolution of the man who left as a carpenter and returned as a rabbi. 

Hence, instead of admiring who Jesus has evolved into, his villagers engage in patronizing remarks about his profession as a carpenter, speak disparagingly about his mother Mary, who was an ordinary village woman, and comment disapprovingly about his brothers and sisters, who were their next-door neighbours. We can see that their contemptuous references to Jesus demonstrate their disbelief and jealousy. 

Mark records that Jesus was amazed at their unbelief. The only other time that Jesus was amazed was at the faith of the centurion in Luke 7:1-10. 

Nevertheless, Jesus’ response to the fact of his rejection is constructive and inspirational. The pessimistic scenario hardly limits Jesus. Jesus shows that a missionary should neither be elated by people’s praises nor be put down by their criticisms. Hence, when his villagers reveal who they are by rejecting Jesus, he shows what he is made up of by carrying his mission forward. The one who has called us to be his missionaries shows what constitutes a missionary of God. 

By his attitude, Jesus prompts a self-examination by asking ourselves:

• Do I reject that which or who s/he is good?
• Am I discouraged by opposition in my ministry?
• Do I compromise God’s mission because of challenges? 

Let us pray that we may ever learn from Jesus the missionary to be his missionaries.

Fr. Dhinakaran Savariyar