In today’s Gospel, we read that Jesus came back to his own village after he began his public ministry. By this time, everyone in Galilee and surrounding areas knew Jesus because of his preaching and of the many miracles he performed. But the people in Nazareth knew Jesus from his childhood as “the son of Mary” or as “the carpenter who lived in their midst” (Mk 6:2-3). Since they know him from his birth, it is difficult for them to go beyond to recognize Jesus as the promised Messiah. How could the son of Mary and Joseph be the Son of God at the same time?
Nazareth was a small and insignificant village (John 1:46) with a few hundred people living there. Today, Nazareth is known as “the Arab capital of Israel”. The majority of the people who live there are Muslims, with a sizable Christian population also. But these people are the citizens of Israel, even though they are Arabs belonging to the Muslim and Christian religions. There exist many important Christian holy sites, including The Church of the Annunciation. Christians were once called ‘Nazarenes’ meaning that they were the followers of Jesus of Nazareth. The Christians in India who were evangelized by St. Thomas the Apostle even today are called Nasranis.
In our present-day society and culture, it is possible to live without relating to anyone around us. To lead a secret life was not possible in the village of Nazareth, as people knew well each other. So, they all might have heard the wonderful deeds Jesus has been doing. Normally they should feel proud of him as he is making their town known in other parts of the country. In the Gospel of John, when Philip tells Nathaniel that he met Jesus of Nazareth, Nathaniel asks him: “Can anything good come from Nazareth?” (John 1:46). Then Philip tells him: “Come and see.” The people, in today’s reading, failed to understand that the best thing that happened to them was that Jesus came from their village. But for them, Jesus would be, better in his carpentry work than performing miracles. It is even scandalous for them that a carpenter would be capable of bringing the Kingdom of God.
The miracles Jesus performed were the signs of the love of God. Jesus is shocked at the unbelief of the people of Nazareth when they fail to recognize the light of the Truth. Unbelief is a greater problem than we realize. Many people are hindered from experiencing God’s power because they refuse to believe in him. The people of Nazareth are right when they say that wisdom and mighty deeds are the signs of God’s presence (Jer. 10:12; 51:15; Dan. 2:20). But they were not able to see that all the promises are fulfilled in Jesus.
This incident teaches us about the necessity of faith. Even if God performs many miracles in today’s world, many people have closed their minds and hearts. As believers, we must put our trust and obedience in God. Many people saw Jesus performing miracles, but they did not follow Jesus. We need an openness to God’s power to receive his healing. Faith is the door for God to enter human hearts to dwell there, but this door can only be opened from inside. The gospel says that Jesus is amazed at the people’s lack of faith. Today, Jesus asks us to open our hearts to him, removing the elements of unbelief. Our God is so simple and has lived among us as a human being, and now it is our turn to embrace him closely. Let us give a special place to Jesus in our hearts, as he has given us a very special place in his heart.
Rev. Fr. Mathew Charthakuzhiyil