The Gospel According to Mark 6:1-6
He departed from there and came to his native place, accompanied by his disciples. When the sabbath came he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astonished. They said, “Where did this man get all this? What kind of wisdom has been given him? What mighty deeds are wrought by his hands! Is he not the carpenter, the son of Mary, and the brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him. Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his native place and among his own kin and in his own house.” So, he was not able to perform any mighty deed there, apart from curing a few sick people by laying his hands on them. He was amazed at their lack of faith. He went around to the villages in the vicinity teaching.
Reflection: It was when our two boys were in High School, that we started seeing a huge difference in the way they treated, not only us their parents, but in the way they began treating each other. One might say that they began to see ‘how far’ they could push someone to gage what they could get away with and/or not get away with. As parents we always would use this method or approach. We asked them if they were out in public and were acting foolish or rude… How would they feel if their sweet, dear, and generous grandmother was standing near enough to hear or see what they were saying or doing? Shocked and ashamed is what I remember them both saying.
How do think all these critics of Jesus felt after they found out that Jesus was the Messiah that all of the prophets had been telling them about, for the past 500 years? Instead of watching and learning with an open and loving mind, they jumped to the conclusion that he was a fraud and a simple carpenter, not capable of anything else, “He was amazed at their lack of faith.” Perhaps even shocked and ashamed. Are we sometimes shocked and ashamed, of ourselves, when we too have this lack of faith? When we sin? God knows, we can’t fool Him. But God is a loving and forgiving God, all we have to do is admit our errors in judgement, change our ways, and ask for His forgiveness. Sounds Simple, doesn’t it.
Action of the Day: When is the last time you went to reconciliation? Do you go on a regular basis? It works better if you don’t put a lot of pressure on yourself. Find someone that you feel comfortable with and have simple conversations. It will make a huge difference in the way you feel about yourself and to those around you.
Audio Reflection:
DEACON5 