14th Sunday of Ordinary Time (Year B)
Scriptures: Ez. 2:2-5; 2 Cor. 12:7-10; Mk. 6:1-6
Recently, a lady shared with me a painful experience, which she had gone through. She was serving in one of the institutes; she was very punctual, disciplined and hardworking. She tried to bring order to the institute but she was rejected; the employees of the institute revolted against her and complained against her to the highest authority. They even threatened to resign if she continued to work in the institute. And she was the only Catholic in the institute. The poor lady was traumatised and felt helpless, unwanted, dejected, good for nothing. Such rejection comes in our way in every sphere of our life. We may have experienced it in our families, social groups, in our relationships, etc. The reason for rejection could be varied. We just can’t list them because each person has his or her own reasons to reject another person.
Rejection has very bad effects on our mind and it affects our sense of reason and behaviour. It is one of the worst things that could happen to a human being. Psychiatrists tell us that the feeling of rejection affects us just like the physical pain. MRI reports have shown a similar reaction in our brains just the way our brains respond to physical pain. The feeling of rejection may put a person in trauma. It can have serious mental depression. It can have so many negative effects such as stress, sleeping and eating disorders, self-harming behaviours, etc. The person who is rejected never lives a healthy life. Studies have shown that they become violent in relationships.
While some of us have overcome rejection but some have become a victim of rejection. Today’s readings of the liturgy have a beautiful message for us, especially to those who are going through the feeling of rejection. Prophet Ezekiel in the first reading, St. Paul in the second reading and Jesus in the Gospel experienced rejection in their lives. What motivated them to be successful even though they went through rejection in their lives is the church’s message to learn from today’s liturgy.
Prophet Ezekiel lived in the exilic period of Israel. He is the first called prophet in exile. The book of Ezekiel narrates a beautiful vision of Ezekiel where God called him to be a messenger to the people of Israel. God showed in the vision of unfaithfulness and disloyalty of the people of Israel. They had rebelled against God which was the reason they were sent to exile in Babylon. Ezekiel called them to repent and listen to the voice of God. He warned against the false prophets who were consoling them that the exile would end very soon and they would return to Jerusalem. Ezekiel vehemently opposed the false prophets. God had foretold Ezekiel that he would be rejected. But God wanted him to fulfil the prophetic mission. He wanted to prove to the people that he had sent his prophet even in exile. Ezekiel was successful even though he faced hardship, persecution, insults and rejection because he carried out God’s command of preaching the word of God.
St. Paul is another person in today’s liturgy who gives us the courage to face rejection in our lives. He gives a list of his suffering in the previous chapter in the same letter (2 Cor. 11:23-33). St. Paul was rejected by his own fellow Jews. He was put into prison, he was given forty stripes five times, once he was stoned, he was beaten with rods three times. He endured rejection for the sake of Christ. However, he did not boast for all the pain and suffering that he endured for Christ. He says when he found himself weak, Christ gave him the strength to endure. St. Paul found a positive answer from God in his suffering when he was praying to remove the unidentified cause of great suffering. The Lord revealed to him that his grace was sufficient for him, for his power is made perfect in weakness. St. Paul too was successful even though he faced hardship, persecution, insults and rejection because he carried out God’s command of preaching the word of God.
The third person who faced rejection in today’s liturgy is Jesus. As a matter of fact, Jesus is the most rejected person in the whole Bible. He faced rejection right from the time of his birth up to the time of his death. He was in the womb when his mother did not have a proper place to give him birth (Lk. 2:7). He was rejected by King Herod (Mt. 2:16). He has rejected his own family members (Mk. 3:21). The people of his hometown in Nazareth rejected him (Mk. 6:1-6). His own disciples rejected him (Jn. 6:60-66). John’s Gospel tells us that the Jewish authority rejected him (Jn. 7:45-52, 8:39-59, 10:22-42, 12:36-43). Jesus was crucified as a rejected Messiah.
Today’s Gospel text shows that his own people of his hometown rejected him. They had questions about the source of his knowledge. They saw him as a carpenter’s son, with no training in the Torah. He was seen as the son of Mary but not the son of Joseph. It was an insult. They identified his brothers and sisters (cousins) with whom he spent his childhood. They were too familiar with him. As a result, they failed to believe in Him as the messiah. Yet Jesus is the most successful even though he is rejected after his resurrection because he did what God commanded him to do.
We are called to be prophets by the virtue of our baptism. Our message, the word of God will certainly be rejected because people do not want to hear it. It is strange the message of love, truth, peace, justice is rejected and the prophet is met with rejection, hostility and violence. We are called to pursue the mission that has been entrusted to us.
Ezekiel, St. Paul and Jesus did the same. All of them put away the negative thoughts. They knew who were they. They revived the self-image. They were connected with those who had to share a common interest in their mission. A lady in the story got sulked in the feeling of rejection. We are also aproned to the rejection. We need to learn from the lord to carry out our mission of God which is entrusted to us. Jesus has conquered rejection, so we can. Are you ready to follow him his ways?
