14th Sunday of the ordinary time of the Year B
Readings: Ezekiel 2: 2-5 2 Corinthians 12:7-10 Mark 6:1-6
Theme: The love of God
Today is the 14th Sunday of the year B. In our liturgy today, we are given an insight about the amazing God that we serve. In the first reading, God sends the prophet Ezekiel to the Israelites. Not minding the fact that He knew they were obstinate and stubborn. That shows us that God never gives up on us. He continues to play his role to keep us on the right path. God continues to give all to ensure that we get salvation at the end of time. It is because of his love for humanity that he sent the prophet to go the rebellious people, even though he knew they were rebelling against him and obstinate. Yet he did not stop sending his prophet to them, because he came so that we may have life in abundance.
It is also worthy of note, that in today’s gospel, we see Jesus been rejected by his own people and as a result of that, he could not really do much in their midst. It is easy for you and i to condemn the actions of other people without looking at ourselves sometimes. Let us try to reflect, have there been moments when we rejected the prophets of God that come to us in different ways? It could be through friends, it could be in our environment, and it could be through people we do not even know. Many people come to us as prophets in different ways sent by God himself. Are we patient enough to truly find out who they really are or we dismiss them with a wave of the hand?
God speaks to us in different ways, if only we are patient enough to hear his voice and listen to him. Today Jesus is rejected by his people; are you and I any different? Sometimes our familiarity with people act as a reason why we find it difficult to accept what they tell us, forgetting that God can use anybody he so desires to send his message across to us. We forget that there was a time it was said, can anything good come from Nazareth? Today the story is different and nobody can ever ask such a question again, because the narrative has changed.
That is why we must always remember that the ways of the Lord are different from ours. It is only for us to have that positive disposition. Let go and we let God and God will use us according to his plans for us. That is why my brothers and sisters, on this 14th Sunday, let us do all within our power to give God a listening ear and give him a chance in our lives. Let us see God around us, in the people around us and in our environment; knowing fully well that he speaks to us through different means.
It is not our duty to write off any brother or sister because of their way of life, we should rather try to bring them back to the fold. Isolating them will never help them. It is rather by showing them love like Jesus did by sending his prophet to the Israelites that will make the desired change possible. May God grant us the grace to be worthy instrument in the hand of God. Peace be with you.