July 07, Sunday: Celebrate Weakness – Self-sufficiency to God-sufficiency – Wilson SVD
Fourteenth Sunday in ordinary time
Ezekiel 2: 2-5; 2 Corinthians 12: 7-10; Mark 6: 1-6
The readings of this Sunday Liturgy present to us three persons who faced ‘weaknesses/challenges’ in their life: Prophet Ezekiel, Paul and Jesus. Life has both internal and external challenges and how we respond to them either builds or breaks our life.Rebellious people and resistant Ezekiel: In the first reading, we find God sending Ezekiel to a tough audience. They were rebellious by nature. They were rebellious individually and collectively as a nation. Their children were imprudent and stubborn. Ezekiel was entrusted with a tough mission. He had to convince the rebellious community to listen to God and comply with the statutes of Yahweh. Certainly not an easy mission. He faced the challenges and did not run away from his mission.
Power is perfected in weakness: In the second reading, Paul writes that his missionary life was not all supernatural power, wonders and miracles. His life was validated and characterised by weaknesses, trials and sacrificial sufferings. ‘Power is perfected in weaknesses.’ God is the real and reliable power. Every weakness in us has a purpose. Paul was an intelligent and a strong personality. Possibly, the Lord brought Paul his difficulties so that he would not think himself inherently powerful or capable. Paul’s weakness and the thorn in his flesh makes it clear that the great things achieved by Paul are products of God’s power. God is glorified in Paul’s work. The difficulties and weaknesses were like a thorn in his flesh, pricking all the time. The insults, hardships, persecutions, loneliness, hunger and agonies made Paul strong. Hence, Paul resolves to boast in his weakness. For, Paul his weakness is a place where God’s power and grace are gloried and so he boasts of all his weakness. Paul’s opportunity to glorify God is increased by his weakness. Weakness is blessing. Paul celebrates his weakness.
Jesus has his share of insults: In today’s Gospel we are told that Jesus returns to his native place. He has been away for some time. In the meantime, the people of his native place have heard lots of things about him in his absence. He left as an ordinary young man. Now, he has returned as a teacher and a miracle worker. He has followers as well. A member of their village has become someone important, they can either celebrate and rejoice at this growth or criticise in scepticism and jealousy. Jesus was not well received by his own people. He had to face insults and rejection.
Is this not a carpenter: The people despised Jesus because he was a working man. They could not see beyond his profession. They deliberately refuse to move beyond the label ‘is this not a carpenter?’ At times, we too become victims of such temptation to label people and refuse to see the richness in them. The caste label, color and ethnicity seem to powerfully decide my identity and worth. Is a human person not worth more than his/her caste or color?
Our man to just a carpenter: It is baffling to see that for thirty years, Jesus was just a one of them who fixed the tables and chairs. They all ate and drank with him. They were comfortable together. Now, he stepped out of his home country, has followers, has become a famous preacher and wonder worker. And the same people could not accept him, and they put him down as just a carpenter. They are unable to believe that such a great gift would be given to someone they know and whose family is amidst them. some of the thoughts that may have been going through the minds of people;
How come he has something that we do not have?
How could someone so powerful has grown up in our midst and we did not know about it?
How is it possible that someone from this family has such gifts?
People were focussing on themselves and were not open to God. Sometimes, we find it hard to see the growth of our kith and kin.
Our Take Away
1. Move from self-sufficiency to God-sufficiency: Self-sufficiency is dangerous; No one is complete and perfect. Only God is self-sufficient. We need to diminish the attitude of self-sufficiency and develop God-sufficiency. Difficulty, weakness, vulnerability and wounds drive us to God.
2. Celebrate the Weakness: Be strong enough to be weak. Weakness is an opportunity to growth and success. Accept the vulnerability. Every weakness has an impending celebration of growing strong.
3. No to validating persons on Externals: Our society is growingly sick of this syndrome. Validating people based on one’s externals, family-social and religious backgrounds. This approach destroys the richness of human life. Human persons are to be validated for what they are and not for where they come from or where they belong to. I am not responsible for the family of my birth, but I am responsible for what I become. I deserve to be validated for what I do and what I become.
Wilson SVD
Divine Word Missionary
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