Familiarity has caused more harm than good to many. This same familiarity made people not value and respect one another again. Imagine in some family who has a priest, the people of God who never knew his humble beginning will listen to him, appreciate him, believe in the efficacy of his prayer when he prays for them, and will even confide in him.
However, his family members and some friends, even if they recognized his priesthood, may not very much listen to him, nor have an absolute value and trust in what he says.
The reason is simple; the thoughts that might be occurring in the mind of siblings and childhood friend maybe, “is he not the one who is this or that,” and for some, it may be difficult to have full respect for him, as they have for others.
This is what happened to Jesus in today’s Gospel. “Jesus came to Nazareth, and spoke to the people in the synagogue: ‘I tell you solemnly, no prophet is ever accepted in his own country.”
The reason is that they saw Jesus grew up in their presence, and naturally, it may prove difficult to believe in his mission; since, a person like him has never come up like this in history. This was more reason Jesus said, a prophet is not accepted in his place.
The reason for not valuing a childhood known priest or pastor is because they saw him make mistakes, do funny things with them (siblings and colleagues), and it may make it difficult to erase such a nasty funny memory from their minds.
This is what made them see him as an equal person. In short, his strength and weakness they know. Therefore, to convince these sets of people, it will need the extraordinary grace of God. However, such persons should look beyond the priests as a human person and focus on the God whom he represents.
The more reason Jesus referred that “there were many widows in Israel, I can assure you, in Elijah’s day, when heaven remained shut for three years and six months and a great famine raged throughout the land, but Elijah was not sent to any one of these: he was sent to a widow at Zarephath, a Sidonian town. And in the prophet Elisha’s time there were many lepers in Israel, but none of these was cured, except the Syrian, Naaman.”
The reason was that these two people, though initially express their doubt, but later believe, and we’re saved.
So, my dear brothers and sisters, let us not lose the sense of the value of sacredness, and not to see a priest whom we know before ordination to still be an ordinary person like us.
A priest is not of his own, no matter his human weakness, he is of God, and all he does is in the name of God.
The question is, if familiarity makes you not value a priest, or someone who has changed ontologically, whom you know or familiar with; why should you expect people to value you if tomorrow you become an important personality in life. Remember that you grew up with some people too.
Finally, let’s be careful, so that familiarity with church doctrine and her ministers will not make us lose the kingdom of Heaven. Let us also remember our priests in our prayers that the zeal for their Father’s house may burn and burn in their hearts as in the case of Jesus. Blessings to you and your family as you begin the new week+.
Remember, “A CHRISTIAN IS NOT AN ORDINARY PERSON AND THE LIFE OF A CHRISTIAN IS A LIFE OF WARFARE”. Remain blessed.
2 Kings 5:1-15
Psalm 41:2-3,42:3-4
Gospel.Luke 4:24-30
Familiarity Brings Contempt
FR. Emmanuel Uzoh(Nwachinaemere)
Peace be with you.
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