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?
Is he not the carpenter’s son?
Is not his mother named Mary
and his brothers James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas?
Are not his sisters all with us?
Where did this man get all this?
And they took offense at him.
But Jesus said to them,
A prophet is not without honor except in his native place
and in his own house.
And he did not work many mighty deeds there
because of their lack of faith.
— Matthew 13:53-58
The peace of the Lord be with you. The people in our Gospel reading who heard the eloquent words of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount now think that Jesus is full of himself. They are aware of his common family origins, but they missed the point of who and what Jesus is. Rather than being awestruck by his words and his deeds, they become much more confounded about where his authority comes from, particularly in light of his very humble earthly beginnings.
It makes me wonder how often God is trying to impart something very special and important to me and I get mired down in the details rather than listening to the heart of God’s message. As I have said on many occasions, we will never fully grasp the being of God — it’s just so far beyond us. We can be certain though, that he does wondrous deeds in our every day lives to remind us of his presence, his power, and his tremendous desire to nurture us. Very often the instruments he uses for such works are very common and humble.
Dear Heavenly Father, reflecting on the life of your son and our brother Jesus, help me to live with my eyes wide open for the ways you move in and around life along with the gentle ways you instruct us about your love and desire to walk with us. In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.