What kind of wisdom is this?
Dear brothers, peace and good.
We have reached the fourteenth week of ordinary time. This time, it’s regarding going out. This is what Pope Francis often reminds us of, the “Church going out.” It seems that this didn’t sit well with Ezekiel. Neither did it sit well with Jesus. His life became complicated as soon as he left home. And Paul, in the second reading, didn’t find his life solved by this surrender. Let’s take it step by step.
The Lord sends the prophet Ezekiel to speak to the exiled people of Israel. It doesn’t matter whether the fault of the deportation was due to the exiles or not, what’s striking is that God doesn’t abandon his own. Never. And he uses ordinary people to awaken his people. A man whose only quality is that of having been called by God. Let’s not forget that a prophet is not someone who predicts the future, nor someone who performs countless miracles, but rather a person who speaks in the name of the Lord. In this case, bringing the Word to the exiles in Babylon. Consolation, because, despite everything – in spite of being far from home, without a temple, without priests, without hope – the Lord is with them.
The message isn’t very encouraging. “Whether they listen to you or not, for they are a rebellious people, they will know that there was a prophet among them.” There will come a time when this announcement will bear fruit. For now, we must sow, we must work, and leave the reaction to each person’s conscience. The important thing is that God doesn’t stop sending signals, so that we all repent and return home.
I said at the beginning that being a messenger didn’t make life better for Paul. The Apostle of the Gentiles tells us regarding that “thorn” stuck in his flesh. A thorn that doesn’t let him live. We might think that his position would be a guarantee, an insurance once morest accidents and illnesses. Well, no. We often complain that God doesn’t listen to us, doesn’t react, doesn’t give us what we ask for, when we ask for it… With all the merits accumulated by Paul, he isn’t healed. The question isn’t what we want or ask for, but what God has prepared for us. God doesn’t take away Paul’s discomfort, his illness, but gives him the strength to overcome it. Because we already know that God manifests himself through weak beings. That’s why he doesn’t free us from illnesses, defects, fatigue…
When I bless an apartment, the first thing I tell them is that holy water isn’t a guarantee that the neighbor upstairs won’t leave the tap on or that the light will never go out. Rather, it’s the expression of our desire for God to be present in our lives. At all times. In this way, we become cooperators with the Lord. With everything we are, with our character, with our style, with our weaknesses and with our doubts. Like Saint Thomas, who also doubted, and at the definitive moment, confessed Christ as his Lord and his God. Let’s not be afraid of weakness, there we can be strong with the Lord. Because then we recognize that we are not all-powerful. Like Paul. Who didn’t find the answer he expected, but found a much better answer: he felt supported by the love of God, the strength of God was realized in his weakness. God always wants our good, but he has made us limited and does not want to free us from the difficulties and setbacks that arise from our human limitation.
Even for Jesus, things didn’t go too well. When he was at home, quietly working in his workshop, he had no problems and no one said anything to him. But when he began to talk regarding the Kingdom of God, to try to change the ritual and religious norms, everything became complicated. Because his offer of the Kingdom of God was a very open offer, not exclusive, not reserved for any sector with special merits, something similar to what we are told regarding those who enter the legion: they are admitted without asking them regarding their previous history.
The end result is conflict. The Messiah, the Savior, is someone long awaited, but when he appears he isn’t recognized. It’s a drama for Jesus and a drama for his people. Jesus was for them an “old stranger”. They knew a few of his relations: his mother, his brothers, his sisters. But they didn’t even look at the other deep relationship, the one presented to us by the Gospel of Mark at the beginning and at the end: Jesus, the Son of God. They stayed on the surface; they didn’t reach the truth.
His fellow countrymen react, on the one hand, with surprise at the wisdom of those words, which were not like those of the scribes and Pharisees. At the same time, they are surprised by the miracles he performs. On the other hand, they are frightened by the changes in their lives (social, community, religious…) that it implies. It seems that everything is already weighed, counted and measured. And then comes the earthquake of Christ’s message.
Perhaps the fundamental message we can take away is simply this: Jesus is for you what you let him be. His villagers didn’t let him be anything other than another villager, instead of letting him be what he really was and claimed to be: the bearer of health and salvation. Yes: Jesus is for you what you let him be. Ask yourself: am I sufficiently open to meeting him? Is he also for me “an old stranger” because I think I know him so well?
Your brother in faith, Alejandro, CMF
The Church Going Out: A Reflection on Ezekiel, Paul, and Jesus
Embracing the Call
As we journey through the fourteenth week of ordinary time, we are reminded of the constant call to “go out,” a theme echoed by Pope Francis in his emphasis on a Church that reaches beyond its walls. This call was not always met with ease, as we see in the lives of Ezekiel, Jesus, and Paul. Each of them faced challenges and complexities as they stepped out into the world to share God’s message.
Ezekiel, the prophet sent to speak to the exiled Israelites, reminds us that God never abandons His people. Even in the face of hardship and loss, God chooses ordinary individuals to awaken hearts and bring comfort. Ezekiel’s message highlights the unwavering presence of God, even in the midst of exile, reminding us that God’s love transcends physical boundaries.
The message Ezekiel delivers isn’t always easy to hear. He is told to speak to a “rebellious people,” knowing that they may reject his words. However, God’s unwavering commitment to His people shines through. Even in the face of resistance, God continues to sow seeds of hope, trusting that the truth will eventually resonate with hearts ready to repent and return home.
Finding Strength in Weakness
Paul, the Apostle to the Gentiles, shares his own struggles as a messenger, describing a “thorn” that plagued him, a persistent pain that defied a quick fix. This challenges the notion that a life dedicated to God’s work should be free from suffering. Paul’s experience reminds us that even those with seemingly unwavering faith and immense service to God are not immune to hardship.
Paul’s struggles highlight the crucial truth that God’s grace is most evident in our weakness. Instead of removing Paul’s discomfort, God empowers him to endure. This empowers us to accept our vulnerabilities and trust that God’s grace is enough to carry us through. It is in our limitations that we realize our dependence on God, allowing His strength to be manifested in our own frailty.
Openness to the Kingdom
Jesus’ journey exemplifies the challenges of sharing the Kingdom of God. His offer of salvation is inclusive, open to all, not just those who fit a predefined mold. This radical message, designed to disrupt ritualistic norms, naturally leads to conflict when it clashes with preconceived notions. The clash between Jesus’ message and the expectations of his community provides a powerful illustration of the resistance we often face when we embrace God’s message wholeheartedly.
The people of Nazareth, Jesus’ hometown, struggled to reconcile the familiar Jesus with the revolutionary message he proclaimed. Their expectations of him were rooted in their own knowledge of his family and social background, not in the truth of his divine nature. This “old stranger” they believed they knew might not be the Son of God they were expecting. Jesus’ message, however, transcended their limited understanding.
The villagers, initially impressed by Jesus’ wisdom and miracles, ultimately felt threatened by the changes his message implied. Their resistance reflects the inherent fear of stepping out of comfort zones and embracing a radical, inclusive message of salvation. It highlights the struggle to let go of old paradigms and embrace the depth of God’s love.
Embrace the “Old Stranger”
The central takeaway from this reflection is that our relationship with Jesus is shaped by our willingness to be open to him. Those in Nazareth failed to see beyond their preconceived notions to embrace the “old stranger” who was, in truth, their salvation. We must ask ourselves if we are open to meeting Jesus, or whether we keep him at a distance, treating him as an “old stranger” because we feel we already know him well.
To truly embrace Jesus, we must be willing to go beyond our limited understanding, allowing him to challenge our assumptions and transform our hearts. It is in this openness that we truly encounter the Son of God, the bearer of health and salvation.
