Mark 6:1-6

Today the evangelist Mark tells us about the resistance of the Jews of Nazareth to Jesus, the Word of God who became Man for our salvation.
Jesus was teaching in the synagogue of Nazareth on a Sabbath. The Jews of the city thought they knew Jesus, because He lived there with Mary and Joseph and other relatives from His childhood to His youth.
But they only knew the humanity of Jesus. That is why they took offense at His wisdom and the miracles performed by His hands. Because of their lack of faith, Jesus was not able to perform any mighty deed in Nazareth, apart from curing a few sick people by laying His hands on them.
The Jews in general, and those from Nazareth in particular, had immense difficulty accepting that Jesus was the Messiah because, in their mindset, the Christ would be a great religious and military leader, like the famous King David.
It was scandalous and unacceptable for the Jews to have a Christ so human, so close, so similar to them. The mystery of the Word of God who became Man for our salvation was too difficult for them to accept.
We also have difficulty valuing our relatives, family members and fellow countrymen as prophets of God. We only listen to unknown people from outside.
We urgently need to change our mindset! Let us be careful with the feeling of greatness, because God acts in our favor both through famous international prophets and through our neighbors and acquaintances. Let us value simplicity!
Local: Springfield, MA, EUA

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