The more someone thinks they know you, the less they think you can know. The “mighty deeds” of Jesus almost always involve great faith and participation from others: for example, raising Lazarus from the dead, healing the woman who was bleeding and touched Jesus’ garment, healing the paralytic lowered through the roof by his friends, and Peter’s walking on water. What “mighty deeds” can we help Jesus to accomplish today?

Friday of the Seventeenth Week in Ordinary Time

Jeremiah 26:1-9

Psalm 69:5, 8-10, 14

M atthew 13:54-58 And coming to his own country he taught them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished, and said, "Where did this man get this wisdom and these mighty works? (55) Is not this the carpenter's son? Is not his mother called Mary? And are not his brothers James and Joseph and Simon and Judas? (56) And are not all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all this?" (57) And they took offense at him. But Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor except in his own country and in his own house." (58) And he did not do many mighty works there, because of their unbelief.

Meditation by Ken Reed-Bouley

T his reading from the Gospel of Matthew seems to describe Jesus running into a combination of what Jeremiah faced when delivering a message from God (“Kill the messenger!” to paraphrase Jeremiah’s experience) and what many of us face at some point in our families, places of work, or home towns. The more someone thinks they know you, the less they think you can know.

Parenting offers many examples. My brother-in-law’s four-year-old twins still think he can do no wrong, that he is the smartest, strongest, fastest person to walk the planet. In contrast, my ten- and twelve-year-old daughters are now faster than me, can do many things better than me, and would rather look something up on Google than dare think their old man could be smart enough to answer a question.

Who does Jesus think he is anyway? We know his mother, his father, his brothers and sisters! Why does he think he knows more than us? Does he think he’s better than us?

Then Jesus offers a powerful, if not sardonic, one-liner: “A prophet is not without honor except in his native place and his own house.” In other words, Jesus is saying, “Look, I know I’m a prophet. And I know many people from all over are extremely impressed by what I know and do. But this is what always happens in someone’s hometown and family: lack of credibility, jealousy, ultimately lack of faith.”

It’s this “lack of faith” that I find most interesting here: “And he did not work many mighty deeds there because of their lack of faith.” We could understand this line in two ways: First, Jesus was punishing them by choosing not to perform mighty deeds because they lacked faith. I think we usually understand this passage this way. But a second way might actually have merit: Jesus could only perform mighty deeds if others showed great faith! I don’t know for sure which is the case, and I don’t intend to limit Jesus so much as suggest that we have a significant role to play in doing God’s work.

The “mighty deeds” of Jesus almost always involve great faith and participation from others: For example, raising Lazarus from the dead, healing the woman who was bleeding and touched Jesus’ garment, healing the paralytic lowered through the roof by his friends, and Peter’s walking on water.

What “mighty deeds” can we help Jesus to accomplish today? Will we be able to accept and have faith in the ways Jesus works through a prophet in our own family or hometown in order to accomplish these mighty deeds?

Jesus, help us to be humble, to listen to others, to have faith, and to be open to discovering new and deeper ways to participate in helping you build the Reign of God. Amen.

Supplementary Reading

Greater Than the Past

'The glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former house,' says the LORD Almighty. 'And in this place I will grant peace . . .' – Haggai 2:9

G od wants to amaze you with His goodness! We are living in a day where God is increasing His favor. Maybe you have seen God's goodness to a certain degree. In reality, you haven't seen anything yet! God has favor in your future that will supersede anything that you've seen in the past.

The Scripture talks about how the glory of the latter day will be greater than the glory of the former day. That means what God did for your parents or grandparents, He's going to surpass in your generation. The blessing and favor of past generations was good, but we serve a God of increase! He has greater things in store for your future!

Today, I encourage you to get your hopes up. I encourage you to enlarge your vision. Be expecting God to bring opportunities across your path. Be expecting to meet the right people and get the right breaks. Prepare your heart and mind to receive the increase and blessing God has in store for you!

Father in heaven, thank You for being the God of increase. I trust that You have great things in store for my future. I surrender every area of my mind, will and emotions as I wait on You. In Jesus' Name. Amen.—Joel & Victoria Osteen

GOD BLESS US ALL!

O Theos Na Mas Evlogisi!
PRAY as if everything depended on HIM. ACT as if everything depended on YOU.

For past gospel meditations, you may visit the following:

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