Lenten journal 19

29 February 2016

Judging

The Gospel reading today tells us that Jesus went to his home town, Nazara but felt that he was not taken seriously. In the synagogue, he told the people that "no prophet is ever accepted in his own country." (Lk 4: 24). In judging, the people could not accept him as they knew him to be Joseph, the carpenter's son. An ordinary man from an ordinary family. 

God can choose anyone to be his instrument on earth to teach us something, all we need is an open mind and heart to recognise God in the people we encounter in our lives. It may only be an ordinary person from an ordinary home, but he is the bearer of God's gift to us; it may be an advice to a problem we were facing, or it could be an opportunity to expand our horizons. We can never tell. God works in mysterious ways. We should not judge, but instead allow God to work in and through us to be the person he created us to be, and to be ever conscious of his love and mercy we see in the people around us.

In rejecting Jesus, the people of Nazara had so much to lose; and what they lost became a gain for those in other cities who, whole heartedly welcomed Jesus and allow him to touch and changed their lives forever.    

                      Christ does not force our will. He takes only what we give 
                      him. But he does not give himself entirely until he sees 
                      that we yield ourselves entirely to him.
                                                            - St Teresa of Avila-