Ez. 2:2-5; 2Cor 12:7-10; Mark 6:1-6
One day in the mid-19th century AD, a newly ordained French priest was visited by a priest from another country which showed up at his front doorstep unaanounced and unkempt. He gave the man a room in the rectory attic. The French priest lived to see his visitor canonized as St. John Bosco. On hearing of his canonization, the French priest remarked, “If I knew he was a saint, I would have given him a better room.”
I’m sure that on judgment day, I can imagine some of our Lord’s contemporaries from the town of Nazareth saying something very similar: “If only I had realized that day, I can imagine some of our Lord’s contemporaries from the town of Nazareth saying something very similar: “If only I had realized that He was the son of God, the Word made flesh, the King of kings, I wouldn’t have doubted His words or His power.”
This story is an example of the kind of rejection Jesus encountered when He returned to His hometown in Nazareth. The people of Nazareth took offense at him an d refuse to listen to what He had to say. They despised His preaching because after all, they had known Jesus from His infancy. He was a workingman, a carpenter and a mere layman. They despised Him because of His family. None of whom was anybody special in the eyes of the world.
This is how familiarity can breed mistaken contempt. Jesus could do not mighty works in their midst because they were closed and disbelieving towards Him. If people have come together to hate and to refuse to understand, then they will see no other point of view than their own and they will refuse to love and accept others.
You know what the most severe critics are often people very familiar to us, a member of our family, a relative, town mates or neighbor we rub shoulders with on a regular basis. Jesus faced a severe testing when he returned to his hometown, not simply as the carpenter’s son but now as a rabbi with disciples. It would have been customary for Jesus to go to the synagogue each week during the Sabbath service. His hometown folks listened with rapt attention on this occasion because, like the newly ordained French priest, St. John Bosco seemed too ordinary. Likewise, to the people of Nazareth, Jesus Christ seemed much too ordinary.
Jesus and St. John Bosco are just two examples of people who were rejected by other people before being accepted. Consider just modern examples:
Bishop Fulton Sheen, the great preacher, was told by his college debate coach: “You’re absolutely the worst speaker ever heard.”
Ernest Hemingway, the great novelist, was told by his teachers, “Forget about writing; you don’t have enough talent for it.”
Richard Hooker, the author of MASH, had his book rejected by six publishers before it was finally accepted and became a runaway bestseller.
Margaret Mitchell, the author of Gone with the Wind, had her book turned down by publishers for forty-eight times.
Each of us, like Jesus, has experienced rejection. These are the times when, for no apparent reason, another person turned against us or issued some thoughtless comment.
Some of life’s most painful rejection comes from childhood experiences. Rejection suffered in the early years often sets the tone for a person’s entire life. Whenever a significant others like: a parent, grandparent or someone we hold in esteem rejects us, feelings of being unloved, unworthy, useless, or insignificant can arise. God never intended for us to struggle with feelings of low self-esteem or injection. Instead, he wants us to understand that we have value and worth, not because of who we are but because of who we contain, the Lord Jesus Christ.
How does this rejection apply to our lives? Jesus answered this question Himself when He said: “No pupil is greater than his teacher, no slave is greater than his master,” (Mt 10:24). In other words, people rejected Jesus in His lifetime, then, we should not be surprised if people reject us because we speak against human rights violations and killings of innocent civilians. We should not be surprised if people reject us because we speak against mining because this destroys our environment or the integrity of creation. We should even surprise if sometimes, our own family rejects us because Jesus said this would happen (Lk 12:53) on account on Him.
When rejection like this occurs, it is easy for us to lose heart. It is easy to give up. It is easy to stop loving. It is easy to grow angry. It is easy to become bitter and resentful. But we must resist this temptation and properly handle this rejection. Fr. Jerry Orbos SVD in his homily book, had a very beautiful idea on how to handle rejection. He said that those who are on the lonely road must have a code that they can live by, namely, the Four FORs: FORget, FORgive, FORego, and FORGod.
FORget what the world owes you and concentrate on what you owe to the world. Forget who you are and remember the big number of people around you. Forget your personal troubles and battles and help out in the bigger and more real battles all around you.
FORgive the wrongs this world has done to you. Forgive people, their failures, their weaknesses and their incompetence. And learn to forgive yourself too.
FORego those things that you can have but should not. Forego those that can give you momentary pleasures but in the end can harm you. Forego because if you always go for it, you may end a goner in the wind.
FOR God: Anything done and offered for God is never wasted nor gone. We are able to go through trials, undergo labor and hardwork, criticism and even persecution through Him, with Him, in Him. Yes, all for God. Learn to offer and surrender for God. ipasaDios muna (Leave it to God).
“Be glad when that happens and dance for joy because a great reward is kept for you in heaven,” (Lk 6:21-23).
See Today’s Readings: Cycle B
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