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Gospel: Matthew 13:54-58
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.
The Gospel of the Lord.
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Mother Teresa used to run a school for street children in downtown Calcutta. Written on the wall outside the school’s entrance was a set of teachings everyone was encouraged to follow, including the following:
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People are often unreasonable, irrational, and self-centered. Forgive them anyway.
The good you do today will often be forgotten. Do good anyway.
In the end, what you do is between you and God. It’s never between you and them anyway.
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That last rule, in particular, speaks to the heart of today’s Gospel.
Jesus returns to his hometown, where he begins preaching in the synagogue. I presume he not only shared the good news of salvation with them; he also spoke to them about the various miracles he performed, including healing the sick and calming the storm on the Sea of Galilee.
His disciples must’ve verified his claims, telling others they saw such works with their own eyes!
Still, the Lord is not received the way one would hope. Instead of awe and wonder, Jesus is bombarded with skepticism as people question, “Where did this man get such wisdom? … Is he not the carpenter’s son?”
While their lack of faith must’ve felt like a dagger in his heart, the Lord’s inner peace was never dependent upon other people’s approval; his sole focus was doing the will of his Father.
So, it is with us. We live to love and serve the Lord.
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As Mother Teresa reminded those school children in Calcutta, “What you do is between you and God. It’s never between you and them anyway.”
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Image credits: (1) QuoteFancy (2) Bible Trek, Nazareth Series, YouTube (3) AZQuotes