14th Sunday in Ordinary Time 2024
They have looked and they have seen a man – they have not seen God! They listen to Jesus’ words with surprise and probably with awe. Their statements testify to this, they say after all: “Where did the man get all this? What is this wisdom that has been granted him, and these miracles that are worked through him?” Admiration for the person, their thinking, their style of expression, their life and the works they do. We listen to the Gospel of Christ every week, telling us about miracles, encounters, healings. We are full of awe, admiration, joy, sometimes amazement. Unfortunately, that’s where it mostly ends – in surprise and delight. After the burst of emotion, after the fast-beating heart under the influence of the words heard, comes quite often discouragement and disbelief. Despite listening to the Word of God, it eventually becomes uncomfortable for us – alien, inaccessible.
“Isn’t this a carpenter…” – and they doubted him. Ideally, we find ourselves today at the feet of Jesus in the synagogue in Nazareth with our lives and unbelief. It is very much the same in our lives. We wait for miracles to sort out our family, home, marriage, financial, university or work affairs. However, an important obstacle to receiving such a miracle from God is our lack of faith. For a miracle can only happen when a person opens to God, listens to Him and expresses their willingness to do His will. Of course, this is not easy, but not impossible. God gives us opportunities all the time to have a deeper faith, to experience a miracle. We come to Church, we participate in the Eucharist, where He is present. Here and now the same Christ acts and speaks to us. With all his power and grace, he wants to come into our lives and bring order them – to give us strength, courage, to pour love into our hearts.
His presence in today’s Eucharist is to extend throughout our lives.
Jesus speaks – I listen. When I listen to and trust Christ – I open myself up to the gift of greater faith. Faith, ever stronger, pushes aside my infidelity and totally changes my life. So, what are we missing? Listening, deeper faith, concrete decisions? Or is there too much of something – surprise, discouragement, disbelief? Now is the moment to tell Christ all this. We need His help, His strength, His faith. Leave your lack of faith, doubt, disbelief, awe, wonder and discouragement to Him. And this is only possible if we believe in Him and do not doubt Him, and thereby believing more in ourselves than in Christ.