Familiarity breeds what?

As the saying goes: Familiarity breeds contempt. Is this what Jesus experienced from his townmates in today’s Gospel reading (Mk. 6: 1-6)?

After teaching huge crowds and performing miracles in various places over a period of time, the ever-compassionate Jesus went back to his hometown with his disciples. You would think that his own townmates would welcome him with praises and pride. Instead of honoring a God-sent prophet, they looked down on him and ridiculed him when he started teaching them in the synagogue. "Hindi ba ito si Hesus na karpintero? Sino na ba siya? Ano na ba ang akala niya sa kaniyang sarili?" Jesus said to them: "A prophet is not without honor except in his native place…" (v. 4). Thus, he did not perform any miracle there, due to their lack of faith.

Throughout the centuries, all the way to the present, the common, unsung disciples of Jesus continue to suffer the same fate as he did – in the eyes of a money-and-power-driven world. Many simple carpenters and ordinary farmers, fishermen, and employees are totally dedicated to their families and their work – living lives of honesty and integrity. As disciples of Christ, they are no less than living prophets in the midst of moral corruption and social injustice. How many of their countrymen honor them and listen to the silent teachings of their eloquent lives?

Solidarity with the poor and a conversion of the rich, so that the latter may also be in solidarity with the poor – this was the teaching of Jesus the Prophet, in word and deed. He lived by what he preached. And this is his mission for each and every one who would claim to be his disciple.

Jesus is challenging us to be his prophets in our very own communities, in our own Nazareths. And like Jesus, we, too, will be looked down upon by many of our townmates, who will resist the very meaning of our prophetic message. But if we want to experience God’s miracle to be done in his own way and time, we must have total faith in him — unlike the townmates of Jesus. He did not perform any mighty deed among them, precisely due to their lack of faith.

Once again, at this point in our lives, we are challenged to choose what life-plan to follow: The life-plan of Christ, or that of the Antichrist. Otherwise, we will be perpetually "namamangka sa dalawang ilog" until it is too late.

The Antichrist uses three enticing traps that tend to blind us with their glitter: worldly riches – an inordinate love for money and what money can buy; worldly honors – an inordinate attachment to some form of power over others; and worldly pride – an inordinate love for one’s own self, down to the final depths of disdainful self-centeredness. When one succumbs to these three traps, he will blindly follow the Antichrist all the way.

Counterpoised against all this are the spiritual strategies of Christ: a lifestyle of Christian stewardship; acceptance of inevitable insults and contempt; and humility in servant-leadership.

What is stewardship? All that we are and all that we have are not really ours but God’s. Our lives, talents, and resources have been entrusted to us, not to be used mainly for our own vested interests, but according to God’s one and only law: to love God by loving our neighbor as we love ourself. And by neighbor is meant anyone and everyone. You can be a millionaire and still be Christ’s faithful steward. We are to develop the full potentials of our country for the benefit of all. A more equitable distribution of God’s resources.

This will be ruthlessly resisted by the followers of the Antichrist. Insults, contempt, and opposition strategies will come from the leaders of economic, capitalistic empires without a conscience. But through all this, the prophetic disciples of Christ will carry on with their humble service, armed only with love, justice, the truth, and active non-violence.

Christ yesterday, today, and tomorrow. Amen.

The Jesuit Vocation Promotions Team invites male college students and young professionals to a Vocation Seminar. It is intended for those who are considering the priesthood or brotherhood in the religious life. The seminar will be held on July 23, 2006, Sunday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Garage, Sonolux Bldg., Ateneo de Manila University Campus, Loyola Heights, Quezon City. For more details, contact the Jesuit Vocation Promotions Office at tel. no. 4266101 or e-mail at [email protected].