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Jesus came to his native place and taught the people in their
synagogue. They were astonished and said, “Where did this man get
such wisdom and mighty deeds?” Matthew 13:54
Today’s Gospel goes on to say that the people in Jesus’ hometown of
Nazareth took offense at Him, which led Jesus to say, “A prophet is
not without honor except in his native place and in his own house.”
It is somewhat surprising that they took offense at Jesus after
witnessing His wisdom and mighty deeds. Jesus was very familiar to
the townspeople, and it seems that that familiarity led them to
doubt that Jesus was someone special.
It should be noted that, in many ways, the people who knew Jesus
for many years should have been the first people to see His
greatness. And most likely there were some from His hometown who
did. They would have known Jesus' mother, the Blessed Virgin Mary,
and she would have given daily witness to incredible virtues. They
would have known Joseph as a truly righteous and just man. And
Jesus would have exuded every human virtue to perfection as He
grew. And again, that should have been easily noticeable. But many
failed to see the holiness of Jesus and the Holy Family.
This experience of our Lord should remind us that it is easy to
miss the presence of God all around us. If those who were closest
to Jesus did not recognize Him as a man of exceptional virtue and
holiness, then how much more might we fail to see the presence of
God in the lives of those we encounter every day? For some reason,
perhaps because of our struggles with pride and anger, it is easier
to look at the faults of another than at their virtues. It’s easy
to be critical of them and to dwell upon their perceived weaknesses
and sins. But this Gospel story should encourage us to do all we
can to look beyond the surface and to see God present in every life
we encounter.
On the most fundamental level, God dwells within each and every
person He has created. Even those who remain in a state of
persistent mortal sin are still made in the image of God and
reflect God by their very nature. And we must see this. And those
who are in a state of grace carry the presence of God, not only
within themselves by nature but also through God’s action in their
lives. Every virtue that every person has is there because God is
at work in them. And we must work to see this divine activity in
their lives.
Begin by thinking about the people with whom you are closest. When
you think about them, what comes to mind? Over the years, we can
build habits of dwelling upon others’ faults. And those habits are
hard to break. But they can only be broken by intentionally seeking
out the presence of God in their lives. As noted, if Jesus’ own
townspeople had a difficult time doing this with Him Who was
perfect, then this should tell us that it will be even harder for
us to do with those who lack perfection. But it must be done and is
a very holy endeavor.
Reflect, today, upon the important mission you have been given to
see the presence of God in the lives of those all around you. What
if Jesus had grown up in your town? As your neighbor? And though
the Incarnate Son of God does not live next door as He did in
Nazareth, He does live in each and every person you encounter every
day. Honestly reflect upon how well you see Him and commit yourself
to the holy mission of seeing Him more clearly so that you can
rejoice in His greatness which is truly manifest all around
you.
My Lord of true greatness, You are truly present all around me.
You are alive and living in the lives of those whom I encounter
every day. Please give me the eyes of faith to see You and a heart
that loves You. Help me to overlook the faults and weaknesses of
others. Jesus, I trust in You.
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