Who Is God Using?
In our gospel reading this week, Jesus arrives in his hometown. He has been traveling throughout the region teaching, healing, and gathering a group of twelve devoted followers, in addition to attracting growing crowds. We might imagine this homecoming as a great celebration, the joyous reception of a local son who has done well. The gospel of Mark tells us otherwise.
The NRSV says the locals who greeted him were “astounded” at Jesus’ teachings. Yes, astounded is one translation of the Greek word “exelpessanto,” but there are others that reveal their underlying attitudes. “Where did this man get all this?” they ask each other. “What is this wisdom that has been given to him? What deeds of power are being done by his hands!” It is not long before someone asks the question on everyone’s mind: “Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and John and Judas and Simon? Are not his sisters here among us?"
We wonder, from this end of history, how anyone could have questioned Jesus, how anyone could have been in the presence of our Lord and rejected him and the gift of grace he brought. We cannot fathom how the people of his hometown could have been blind to Jesus in their very midst. Our wondering takes on new life when we wonder about our own lives and ask of ourselves “who or what is in our midst that God is using spread lifegiving grace to us?”
Take a look at all the lectionary selections for this week here:
