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| Blocked from believing |
The Prophet Ezekiel is tasked to make the people aware of a prophet from God in their midst.
Before Jerusalem is destroyed (587 B.C.), Ezekiel is concerned to convince his audience that they are responsible for the punishment of exile and to justify the Lord’s decision to destroy their city and Temple.In the Second Letter to the Corinthians, Paul gives witness to the strength he finds through the action of God in his weakness.
* [12:10] When I am weak, then I am strong: Paul recognizes a twofold pattern in the resolution of the weakness-power (and death-life) dialectic, each of which looks to Jesus as the model and is experienced in him. The first is personal, involving a reversal in oneself (Jesus, 2 Cor 13:4a; Paul, 2 Cor 1:9–10; 4:10–11; 6:9). The second is apostolic, involving an effect on others (Jesus, 2 Cor 5:14–15; Paul, 2 Cor 1:6; 4:12; 13:9). The specific kind of “effectiveness in ministry” that Paul promises to demonstrate on his arrival (2 Cor 13:4b; cf. 2 Cor 10:1–11) involves elements of both; this, too, will be modeled on Jesus’ experience and a participation in that experience (2 Cor 9; 13:3b).The episode from the Gospel of Mark shows the inability of the people in Jesus hometown to recognize His relationship with God.
* [6:4] A prophet is not without honor except…in his own house: a saying that finds parallels in other literatures, especially Jewish and Greek, but without reference to a prophet. Comparing himself to previous Hebrew prophets whom the people rejected, Jesus intimates his own eventual rejection by the nation especially in view of the dishonor his own relatives had shown him (Mk 3:21) and now his townspeople as well.Steve Scholer is inspired to encourage us to think about how welcoming we have been to our own kin, in our own house.
Are we “giving service to others” in our own home, with our own family and close friends, and showing them just how much we love and value them, or are we saving that love and compassion for others?Don Schwager quotes Origen of Alexandria (185-254 AD) on Distinguishing God's power and our faith.
"And perhaps, as in the case of metallic substances there exists in some a natural attraction toward some other thing, as in the magnet for iron, and in naphtha for fire, so there is an attraction in such faith toward the divine power according to what Jesus said: 'If you have faith as a grain of mustard seed, you shall say unto this mountain, 'Move to another place,' and it shall be moved' (Matthew 17:20). Matthew and Mark wished to present the all-surpassing value of that divine power as a power that works even in those who do not believe. But they did not deny that grace works even more powerfully among those who have faith. So it seems to me that they accurately said not that the Lord did not do any mighty works because of their unbelief, but that he did not do many there (Mark 6:5). Mark does not flatly say that he could do no mighty work there at all, and stop at that point, but added, 'except that he laid his hands upon a few sick folk and healed them' (Mark 6:5). Thus the power in him overcame even their unbelief." (excerpt from COMMENTARY ON MATTHEW 10.19)The Word Among Us Meditation on 2 Corinthians 12:7-10 wants us to let this sink in for a moment: Paul the miracle worker, a man through whom people were healed just by touching his clothes, was himself not healed (Acts 19:12). Clearly, healing is a mystery that we cannot fully understand.
God knows all of the thorns in our lives—spiritual, emotional, and physical—and he knows the plans he has for our lives. In many cases, we won’t find the answers to these mysteries until we are united with the Lord in heaven. But that doesn’t mean we should lose our faith. If anything, these mysteries should deepen it! Sometimes, the only answer is to pray for courage, resiliency, and steadfastness. Sometimes, the only answer we have is to trust God and have faith in “what we do not see” (Hebrews 11:1).Friar Jude Winkler underlines the role of Ezekiel as prophet to let Judah know they would be responsible for their deeds. He discusses Jesus as carpenter, son of Mary, and the viewpoint of some Orthodox and Protestants on Jesus’ cousins. The misunderstanding of Jesus role by His disciples, family and townsfolk is related to an expectation of a Messiah of power.
Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, is encouraged to see many Christian, Jewish, Muslim, and Buddhist brothers and sisters actively engaged with the political realm, speaking truth to power, and holding our political leaders accountable. Being political is a basic civic, human, and spiritual duty!
Like it or not, politics (civic engagement) is one of our primary means of addressing poverty and other justice issues. I am not talking about partisan politics here, but simply connecting the inner world with the outer world. As a result of our dualistic thinking, the word “partisan” has come to be synonymous with the word “political.” And so many church-goers do not want to hear the Gospel preached—as it might sound political!Our baptismal role of prophet who makes God present in our social and political relationships is one for which our faults will be noticed by others and redeemed by our faith in God.
References
(n.d.). Ezekiel — introduction - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved July 8, 2018, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/ezekiel/0
(n.d.). 2 Corinthians, chapter 12. Retrieved July 8, 2018, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/2corinthians/12
(n.d.). Mark, chapter 6 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved July 8, 2018, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/mark/6
(n.d.). Creighton U Daily Reflections .... Retrieved July 8, 2018, from http://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/daily.html
(n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved July 8, 2018, from http://dailyscripture.servantsoftheword.org/
(n.d.). 14th Sunday in Ordinary Time - Mass Readings and Catholic Daily .... Retrieved July 8, 2018, from https://wau.org/meditations/
(n.d.). Daily Meditations Archives - Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved July 8, 2018, from https://cac.org/category/daily-meditations/
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