DOCTRINE AND FAITH
(Ezekiel 2, 2-5; 2 Cor. 12,7-10; Mark 6,1-6: 14th Sunday of Year B)
There is no doubt that the theme that can be easily seen from the readings of today is no other than disbelief. In entrusting the prophetic mission for the people of Israel in exile in Babylon, to Ezekiel, God did not indicate any hope of success for the mission. Rather mention was made about the rebellious spirit Israel exhibited in the past: Son of man I am sending you to the Israelites, to the rebels who have turned against me. A good number of prophets scolded Israel for her disbelief, hardness of heart, and lack of faith in God and now the Lord himself says: Till now they and their ancestors have been in revolt against me (See also Acts 7,51-52). The motive for the constant rebellion was always the same: the people of Israel did not know how to nurture and maintain their relationship with God; they were not faithful to God because their interests were in constant opposition to the divine values. What is more, the hope of securing help from their alliance with pagan nations seemed to them stronger than that which their covenant with God guaranteed. Notwithstanding the oppositions and acts of infidelity, God goes on with his plan of salvation for them and realises it: Whether they listen or not, this set of rebels shall now know that there is a prophet among them. Thus, there is hope, at least for the future that the messengers will be listened to. This will happen when the Lord will fashion new heart and spirit for man.
Also, the theme unbelief is dominant in the gospel reading from the Evangelist Mark. The opposition to Jesus is not from his traditional adversaries, the Scribes and Pharisees. The stiff resistance, this time is from the people of Nazareth, his own people, from the village he grew up. The first reaction of his co-citizens to his intervention in their synagogue was admiration. They were saying: Where did this man get all this? What is the wisdom that has been granted him and these miracles that are worked through him? Here, aspects of Jesus’ ministry were mentioned; the preaching which exhibited superhuman wisdom and that of miracles that manifested divine powers. The people of Nazareth remained marveled because they knew Jesus as one of them, who worked as a carpenter before beginning his ministry. They knew all about his family, both nuclear and extended members. The people of Nazareth were contrasting the lowly and humble origin of Jesus (a not very well uneducated wood worker, not educated like a rabbi) and his actual capacity and activities. They were scandalised in him and did not accept him. For them, Jesus was simply a carpenter and they did not consider that he could have another identity. They admired the wisdom in his teachings and the power in his miracles but were not able to recognise him as the Messiah and the Son of God because he appeared rather familiar and too common place to them. Their non-acceptance had a direct consequence: no miracle! It is faith that prepares the ground for the experience of divine intervention. Where faith is lacking, no miracle is found. Interestingly, however, Jesus cured a few sick people by laying hands on them according to the text. Even though he was displeased with their lack of faith, he did not subscribe to complete indifference to their plight. He still had to heal a few. So unbounded are God’s love and compassion that even lack of faith cannot place a limit on them!
His generous gift of grace to man is an outstanding sign of God’s unequalled benevolence. In the second reading today, St. Paul was assured of the abundance of this grace. Empowered by this grace, he made a discovery that stands ever true in the complexity of our spiritual struggle: I shall be happy to make my weaknesses my special boast so that the power of Christ may stay over me. He even put it more aptly: For it is when I am weak that I am strong. This Pauline assertion makes it very clear that our weaknesses, deficiencies and incapabilities, far from being obstacles in the spiritual life, are in fact fertile grounds for the triumph of grace. In the face of divine love, our weaknesses lose their disqualifying and impeding character! God’s generous gift of grace and the immensity of his love do not, however, take for granted man’s willful disposition and co-operation. In exercise of his God-given freedom, man may choose to reject this generous offer. It is this conscious rejection that we find in Ezekiel’s prophecy in the first reading. God warned the prophet in these terse words: “I am sending you…to the rebels who have turned against me.” It seemed as God was saying: They have rejected the life I offered them and opted for death. Yet, you have to go; I detest their rebellion but I can never be fed up with them. I still desire to save them.
Many times, we rebel against God, rejecting the opportunities he offers us to take advantage of his love and draw closer to him. In love, he continues to offer us more and more chances and does not hasten to condemn us. We run the risk of passing judgment on ourselves when we treat these opportunities with indifference or outright scorn. May we in today’s Eucharistic celebration beg our God to never allow our weaknesses to overwhelm us but rather, through His grace and assistance, they become sources of spiritual and moral strength. Happy Sunday! +John I. Okoye
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