Catechism Corner | Accepting or Rejecting Jesus

We would understand if Jesus was not recognized by people from other towns. But not to be recognized and even rejected by his town mates in Nazareth is truly heartbreaking. That is why the Gospel said that Jesus could not work any miracle there, "apart from curing a few sick people by laying his hands on them."

There are several reasons why the people of Nazareth did not recognize and accept Jesus. First, they were in error. They thought they knew what a Messiah should be. They rejected Jesus because he did not conform to their mistaken idea of a true messiah. They thought they knew Jesus: that he is the carpenter, the son of Mary, a simple and ordinary guy next door. They were very sure of this because they have known him since childhood. What they did not know was his divinity hidden behind his humanity. They were familiar with him, but it was only on the superficial level. The image they had of him, which they held on to with great tenacity, became a block to their learning more about him. As it is always said, "A little knowledge is a dangerous thing." It is always prone to errors, prejudices and misconceptions.

Second, the people of Nazareth did not recognize and accept Jesus because "A prophet is not without honor except in his native place and among his own kin and in his own house." A prophet is the spokesman of God. He speaks what God wants to say to His people, whether they like the message or not. Jesus is the prophet par excellence. In the past God spoke through human instruments; but now God speaks through His own Son, Jesus. It is not surprising therefore, that he will be rejected, even by his own town mates, because his message and teachings ran counter to their values and preconceived notions and ideas about God.

And finally, the people of Nazareth lacked the most important element to be able to accept Jesus: the gift of faith. The Gospel said: "He was amazed at their lack of faith." If faith can move mountains, lack of faith builds mountains that block the hand of God. Nothing is impossible with Jesus. He has the power to do any miracle. But he just could not do any miracle in his hometown because of their lack of faith. He knew that in such a situation, tragic things could result instead of spiritual benefits for the people. Working a miracle for people who have no faith will do more harm than good. As a quote says, "For those who do not have faith, no miracle is enough; for those who have faith, no miracle is necessary."

Let us examine ourselves. Have we truly accepted Jesus as our Lord? The Lord invites us now, not just to be familiar with him, but more importantly, to be intimate with him, to enter into a personal relationship with him so that we will truly know and love him.

Fr. Antonius David Tristianto, O.Carm.