Gospel of Mark, chapter 6:5

An old man was wondering if his wife had a hearing problem. So one night, while his wife was sitting in her lounge chair, he sneaked behind her and said softly: “Honey, can you hear me?” He got no response. He moved a little closer and said again, “Honey, can you hear me?” Still, he got no response. Finally, he moved right next her and said, “Honey, can you hear me?” This time she looked up with surprise in her eyes and replied, “For the third time, Henry, Yes, I can hear you!” Now, who had the hearing problem? The man or his wife?

We are all too ready to blame others for a breakdown in communication when we ourselves might be responsible for the lack of communication. In today’s gospel we read of a serious breakdown in communication between Jesus and his townspeople. It was so serious that Jesus was unable to perform any miracles there because the people lacked faith.

This was a scandalous situation that Jesus, in His hometown, among His own kinfolk, could not perform any miracles. Not that he would not but that he simply could not. It was impossible for Jesus to perform miracles in this situation where there was no faith. Jesus, as the Son of God, can do all things for his people, but He needs faith to release His power. Remember the wonderful story in the gospel about the woman with the flow of blood. Many people were touching and pushing against Jesus, but nothing happened because they did not touch Him with faith. But as soon as the woman of faith touched Him, healing power came out of Him. We have the capacity to disable Jesus by our lack of faith. Like a switch that turns a light on, faith is the switch that turns God on, and lack of faith turns God off.

Jesus’ kinsfolk took offence at Him for his inability to perform miracles among them. Do you sometimes wonder at God’s apparent inactivity in a world of corruption and injustice? When people are tempted to blame God for doing nothing, is it not possible that God can do nothing because of people’s lack of faith?

Why did Jesus’ own kinsfolk not believe in Him? Jesus says it is because “Prophets are not without honor, except in their hometown, and among their own kin, and in their own house” (Mark 6:4). The kinsfolk of Jesus thought they knew everything there was to know about Him, and they were not impressed. People who are converts to the faith often do better than old timers in the faith because there is a tendency among old timers to think that they know everything there is to know about the faith. This becomes an obstacle to experiencing the mercy and power of God, which is offered anew each day through the same old gospel, and the same old sacraments, and the good example of the same old people. Today’s gospel is a warning against the kind of smugness that smothers or crushes the workings of the Holy Spirit in our midst; the kind of smugness that kills faith.

Today’s gospel tells the story of people who met Jesus, but left without a blessing. As we meet Jesus in His word and in His sacraments, let us resolve not to leave without a blessing.

Fr. Hugh Duffy