July 30, 2010
Friday of the Seventeenth Week in Ordinary Time
By Melanie Rigney
(In the court of the Lord’s house, Jeremiah gave this message from God:) If you disobey me, not living according to the law I placed before you and not listening to the words of my servants the prophets, whom I send you constantly though you do not obey them, I will treat this house like Shiloh, and make this the city to which all the nations of the earth shall refer when cursing another. (Jeremiah 26:4-6)
God, in your great kindness answer me with your constant help. (Psalms 69:14)
Jesus came to his native place and taught the people in their synagogue. They were astonished and said, "Where did this man get such wisdom and mighty deeds? Is he not the carpenter's son? Is not his mother named Mary and his brothers James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas? Are not his sisters all with us? Where did this man get all this?" And they took offense at him. But Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor except in his native place and in his own house." And he did not work many mighty deeds there because of their lack of faith. (Matthew 13:54-58)
Piety
Lord, help me to be open to Your wisdom, regardless of the form in which You present it.
Study
“Where did this man get all this?” the people in Jesus’ native place ask. We know him. We know his parents. Who does he think he is? And that lack of faith kept Jesus from working good deeds.
It’s hard not to listen when people discount our abilities based on what they know about our back story:
“Nobody from that family ever amounted to anything.”
“Her father was a drunk.”
“Her mother was a drug addict.”
“He’s only got a bachelor’s degree from some podunk college.”
“Her family’s rich. What can she know about suffering?”
But at the end of the day, it doesn’t matter whether your high school classmates, your neighbors in your hometown, or the people from your first job have faith in you and your walk today. It’s nice if they do, of course. But it doesn’t matter. Because the only One who matters does have faith in you… and asks only that you have faith in Him.
Action
Tune out the noise of “you can’ts” in your life. Instead, ask the Lord to show you what you can.
