Daily Catholic Lectio
Wed, 31 January 2024
Wednesday of the Fourth Week in Ordinary Time
2 Samuel 24:2, 9-17. Mark 6:1-6
God’s inability!
The Archangel Gabriel, who appears to Mary, says, “Nothing is impossible with God” (cf. Lk 1:37). In today’s gospel reading, Mark records that Jesus was not able to work any miracles (cf. Mk 6:6).
The gospel reading tells us that human incredulity renders God unable to perform miracles.
In the dialogue with the father of the demon-possessed boy, Jesus tells him, “For the one who believes everything is possible” (cf. Mk 9:23).
Jesus comes to his hometown. The townspeople take offence at Jesus. They are scandalised at three levels:
(a) ‘Where did this man get all this?’ – Jesus’ wise teaching and powerful miracle work have their origins not in humans but in God. But the people of Nazareth, instead of acknowledging the divine origin of Jesus, consider him to have been born of earthly parents.
(b) ‘Is he not the carpenter’ – People are comfortable if Jesus does the work of a carpenter, setting aside his preaching and miracle working.
(c) ‘Son of Mary’ – in Jesus’ time, a child was identified with his or her father. Here, the people talk to Jesus in a derogatory way, making fun of his virginal birth.
Their unbelief turns off Jesus.
In the first reading, we hear of David’s third sin, i.e., taking a census. Taking a census means taking inventory of the people. David counts his soliders, and this displeases God. Through the census, David wanted to assert to himself that every victory was his. David’s presumption or incredulity makes him self-sufficient.
The people of Nazareth had no faith in Jesus, and David turned out to believe in himself more through his census.
#
It is human nature that when I don’t like the present reality of a person, it digs into his past. Communion is not possible without us letting go of our incredulity and unbelief. (Jubilee A. D. 2025, bite 20).
Fr. Yesu Karunanidhi
Archdiocese of Madurai
Missionary of Mercy
Yesu Karunanidhi 
Leave a comment