Seventh Sunday after Pentecost 2024

Mark 6:1-14

Rev. Neli Miranda

 

Today’s Gospel comprises two stories. The first speaks about the rejection of Jesus in his hometown, and the second one tells us about the sending out of the twelve. In the preceding verses, we read about Jesus’ liberating actions in favor of many people in need. In gentile territory, Jesus liberated a man - a community - who lived tormented by a legion; that is, the Roman occupation. Upon his return to Galilee, in Capernaum, Jesus healed a woman who had suffered from hemorrhage for twelve years and raised Jairus’ twelve-year-old daughter to life.

With these precedents, Jesus arrives today at his hometown followed by his disciples. It is the Sabbath; the people are gathered in the synagogue and Jesus begins to teach. However, instead of welcoming him warmly, Jesus’ fellow townspeople begin to question his authority. They are astounded that someone who has grown up among them is now teaching in their synagogue, so they sarcastically say, “Where did this man get these things? “What’s this wisdom that has been given him? What are these remarkable miracles he is performing?” (6,2). 

Jesus is identified as a carpenter, an artisan, who belongs to one of the lowest socioeconomic groups in first-century Jewish society.  So, the people’s questions aim to highlight Jesus’ humble origins that do not qualify him to be anything but a carpenter. Also, given that in that time, people were normally referred to as the son of their fathers and not their mothers, some biblical scholars interpret the question “Is not this the son of Mary?” (6,3) as an insult, which could have suggested that Jesus was an illegitimate son.  In other words, they were questioning Jesus’ social background and socioeconomic profile which did not align with the profile of the great teachers of Israel. How could an artisan - and possibly an illegitimate son - have the authority to stand up in their synagogue and teach? Mark adds that the people took offense at Jesus; they were scandalized!

Mark concludes this passage by noting that Jesus is amazed by their disbelief. His own people do not realize that God’s message has come in the garb of the people and not in the garb of the traditional elites that hold power over them.  Mark also mentions that Jesus only healed a few sick people—those who approached him with faith and received healing. However, others, hindered by their prejudices, refused to believe in Jesus.  By rejecting him, they were rejecting God!

The prevalent prejudices in first-century Jewish society are not so different from the social prejudices of the 21st century in which people are judged based on their socioeconomic, ethnic and religious backgrounds, which determine their position in society.  Generally, we are inclined to accept the leadership of people who come from recognized, well-positioned families in society; and those who fulfill the standards dictated by social conventions, including impressive resumes and prestigious academic qualifications. Beware that your prejudices keep you from listening to Jesus when he comes into your life!

The rejection by his own people did not stop Jesus from proclaiming his message. Certainly, he did not conform to the discriminatory and exclusionary social norms imposed by the Jewish religious and Roman political systems. Instead, he taught and embodied the values of the Kingdom of God, which affirm each person and strive for justice and peace for all.  So, immediately after this rejection, Jesus continued his mission and went about the villages teaching. He also called the twelve, giving them authority over the unclean spirits that afflicted society. These unclean spirits can be understood as the different forms of oppression that the people experienced, whether organic diseases or the affliction caused by the oppressive Jewish religiosity and the brutal politics of the Roman Empire.

So, the twelve go out two by two carrying only their staff. They will depend on the communal solidarity of the villages where they will proclaim the Kingdom of God. Just as Jesus has experienced rejection, he prepares the twelve to face similar opposition and instructs them, ^“If any place will not welcome you and they refuse to hear you, as you leave, shake off the dust that is on your feet as a testimony against them” (6,11).  Prepared by Jesus, the twelve fulfill their mission, liberating and healing many people.  No social conventions, discriminatory rules, or rejection can stop the liberating message of the Kingdom of God. On the contrary, rejection is a sign that Jesus’ liberating message is challenging the very foundations of the social structures that oppress the peoples.

Sisters and brothers, what values guide our social relationships today? What are the social standards by which we judge others? Jesus’ community must always be guided by the values of the Kingdom of God that affirm every person, not just few privileged ones. Living according to these values may lead us to rejection in certain spaces, but like Jesus, we must continue affirming the dignity of every human being.

Let us be careful about whom we reject and discriminate against, for they might be Jesus. Amen.