7 July 2024 - 14th ordinary Sunday "B
Ezek 2:2-5; 2 Cor 12:7-10; Mk 6:1-6
Homily
When Jesus arrives in Nazareth (for we assume that this is indeed Nazareth, even though Mark, no doubt deliberately, does not name the town), his reputation has preceded him. If we read the preceding chapters of Mark's Gospel, we see that not only did Jesus' reputation as a miracle-worker precede him to Nazareth, but so did his reputation as a dangerous figure among the Pharisees and the leaders of the people -- who had already decided to have him killed (Mk 3:6). We know that he taught in his own name and not like the scribes (Mk 1:22). We know that he did not observe tradition, daring to touch a leper and allowing his disciples to pluck ears of corn and crush them on the Sabbath and even to heal on that day (Mk 1:39-45; 2:23-3:6); we know that he went to eat in the homes of disreputable people (Mk 2:14-17), and so on. Moreover, because of all this, his own family had concluded that he had lost his mind and had come, including his mother, to look for him and bring him home (Mk 3:21; 31-35).
So here was Jesus, coming to the synagogue in Nazareth on the Sabbath. Jewish law at the time of Jesus recognised the right of any adult male to read the Scriptures in the synagogue and to add a few explanations. No one in Nazareth denied Jesus this right. The problem for Jesus' fellow citizens was rather that for the first thirty years or so of his life, he was a villager like everyone else. So when he began to speak words of wisdom and perform miraculous cures, they wondered: "Where did this come from? What is this wisdom that has been given him and these great miracles that are performed by his hands? Is he not the carpenter? Jesus is saddened by their lack of faith. He did not try to convince them with miracles. He simply left them to go and preach in the surrounding villages.
As we know, Jesus never sought power. Power and authority are two very different realities that do not necessarily go together. Someone can have a lot of power without having any real authority. Conversely, someone can exercise great authority without having any power. So a nation that invades another nation by force of arms wields terrible power, but generally fails to establish any authority and, in fact, loses any moral authority it may have had. So Jesus spoke and acted with authority, but he refused to exercise power. He never used any signs or performed any miracles to prove anything. When God, in the Old Testament, sends Ezekiel to proclaim his word to the people of Israel, as we saw in the first reading, he does not give him any special power to force the people's assent. He simply invites him to speak with authority: ".. .you shall say to them, 'Thus says the Lord God...'". Then, whether they listen or refuse, (it's their problem!) they will know that there is a prophet in their midst."
There have been times in the history of the Church when it has wanted to use power to impose the message of Christ. Whenever it has done so, the results have been catastrophic. When it has been faithful to its true mission, this faithfulness has always led it to give priority to methods of weakness, practising universal love. In the same way, Paul, in today's second reading, reminds the Corinthians that he did not speak to them with a great display of power, but in great weakness.
In the life of a community, just as in society in general, and even in a family, there are a thousand and one ways of exercising power over others. The person who can give or refuse a pass is easily filled with power. In reality, every person easily finds himself every day in a situation where, if he wants to, he can make his power felt over others by the way he acts or doesn't act.
Jesus came into this world not as the all-powerful one who imposed his will, but as a servant - not just the servant of his Father, but the servant of everyone. In the light of this Gospel, let us ask ourselves, in the depths of each of our hearts, whether our everyday attitude is one of service or one of power-seeking.
Armand Veilleux