Rejecting the Prophet in Our Midst

“Where did this man get all this? What kind of wisdom has been given him? What mighty deeds are wrought by his hands!  Is he not the carpenter, the son of Mary, and the brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him.  (Mark 6:2b-3)

One of the biggest differences between the Middle Eastern culture of Jesus’ day and our own culture is the fact that their culture was driven by retaining one’s honor and avoiding shame.  While they would do just about anything to “save face,” for the most part our culture tends to be more centered on notoriety and fame.  If a politician or celebrity becomes embroiled in shameful situation, our ears might perk up for a time; however, we tend to forget such past indiscretions and move on to the news of the present rather than dwelling on the past.

Retaining one’s honor in the culture of the Middle East was mostly a matter of doing what was expected of you by your family, your community, and your fellow townsfolk.  Jesus wasn’t living up to expectations.  He was the son of a carpenter, or at least they thought he was.  Consequently, he should act like the son of a carpenter and should ply his trade like the rest of them. 

However, news of Jesus has circulated, and his fellow townsfolk are aware of the fact that he has been performing wonders and has been teaching and preaching throughout Galilee.  This offends them! 

Jesus’ response to their offense is the now famous statement: “A prophet is not without honor except in his native place and among his own kin and in his own house.”  (Mark 6:4b) 

Reaction to the recent encyclical Laudato Si by Pope Francis has brought much the same response from various quarters of our society.  In their minds, Pope Francis has spoken and written about something which is outside of his area of expertise and concern.  Like the people of Nazareth, they have rejected his words because he shouldn’t be talking about such things. 

Perhaps we should also examine what we expect of a prophet.  In our vocabulary the word immediately raises thoughts of predicting the future, or foretelling events before they happen.  However, the biblical sense of prophet is simply a man or woman who carries the Word of God with them wherever they go.  They speak God’s Word, they exemplify God’s message.  Prophets are nettlesome because they prick our consciences.  They make us look at ourselves the mirror of God’s Word.  This is precisely why we often react negatively toward prophetic people.  We know that the Word of God will mean that we must change.  As we all know, change is something we all want to avoid simply because it means we have to reevaluate, reconsider, and redirect our lives as we respond to God’s Word.

Fr. Lawrence Jagdfeld, O.F.M., Administrator