Year C – Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Have you ever been rejected by a group of people? If you are a teacher – and a capable one, you might have an experience of being rejected by a class. If you are a preacher – and an effective one at that, you might have an experience of being rejected by a congregation. If you are a speaker or a performer you might have an experience of being rejected by an audience. If you have attempted to love some people in your life, perhaps you have also experienced being rejected by another person.

In the gospel story of today – a sequel to the gospel passage of last Sunday – Jesus experiences rejection. He is rejected by the people of his own village. In a traditional village like Nazareth, people would have been related to each other. And so among those who rejected Jesus there would have a good number of his relatives, play-mates, and friends.

But note, it was Jesus’ claim that in his person and his proclamation the prophesy of Isaiah was fulfilled that enraged the people. He claimed to usher in the time of grace, the year of Jubilee. And they are rejecting Jesus’ claim that in his person there is the reign of God. They are rejecting the Son of God.

Their rejection of the Son of God could be a symbol of our own rejection of God. Often this rejection may not be a downright denial of God, nor a walking away from God. It could be a very subtle way of keeping God out of our life. It might even appear to be faith and loyalty, but there could be a reject of God as He is! Let us consider this in some detail.

This is Joseph’s son, surely? – Not ready to be surprised by God.

One way we can reject God is by showing just how much we know him. We repeat formulas: “God is three in one… He is the creator… He is all powerful…” After all, we know him! We idolize God. God becomes static. In this way, we are not ready to be surprised by the God who is new all the time. We might get stuck to one particular experience of God that happened to us in the past; we might get stuck to one particular way of praying and meditating; we might get stuck to one particular place or action that seems to comfort us.

This is how the people of Nazareth reject Jesus: This is Joseph’s son, surely! We know him only too well. What new can he tell us?

The Word of God today invites us to relate to God as He is. Here and Now!

Do the same here in your own countryside! – Conditioning God.

Sometimes in the name of faith we tend to condition God. We want a miracle now, because Jesus said even faith as big as a mustard seed could move mountains. And we want God to move mountains now. We want God to act the way we want. We want God to act at a time that we want. We call it faith.

This is how Jesus verbalizes the attitude of the people of Nazareth: “We have heard all that happened in Capernaum, do the same here in your own countryside.”

The Word of God today invites us to allow God to do as He wills – in His own way, in His own time!