CONTEMPT FOR THE COMMON

When the Sabbath came,
he began to teach in the synagogue,
and many who heard him were amazed.
“Where did this man get these things?” they asked.
“What’s this wisdom that has been given him?
What are these remarkable miracles
he is performing?
Isn’t this the carpenter?
Isn’t this Mary’s son
and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas and Simon?
Aren’t his sisters here with us?”
And they took offense at him.
Jesus said to them,
“A prophet is not without honor
except in his own town,
among his relatives and in his own home.”

Mark 6:2 -4 (read 6:1-13) – NIV

Familiarity breeds contempt. Jesus was too common to deserve respect. The people of the village of Nazareth had contempt for the wisdom and the words of Jesus because he was known as a simple carpenter, the son of Mary, mother of several sons and daughters. They rejected him as a prophet and shut themselves off from the truth that he proclaimed. The lack of faith of the people limited the action of Jesus in their midst. They were expecting something more exotic and impressive.

Divine grace was operating outside the structures of religious, political and economic power. Jesus was "common folk", acting as ferment among the people. Like Jesus, the Christians of the first four centuries were common people without social and economic status. They were considered to be criminals, atheists, subversive and unworthy of respect. It was precisely in these classes that the elite discriminated against that faith had its transforming power.

In our culture Christians are "on top" with positions of power and prestige and striving to force their will on others by pushing for more power. Have we lost sight of the divine presence and the potential of faith to make changes in the underprivileged, humble, marginalized and despised people of this world?

Humans like the spectacular! We have difficulty in giving value to the common. We use the word "banal" in a derogatory manner to express our scale of values. Webster’s New World College Dictionary defines banal as "dull or stale as because of overuse; trite; hackneyed; commonplace. Origin: French; from Old French designating objects (such as ovens or mills) belonging to feudal serfs (hence common, ordinary). We banalize the common.

We see "salvation" as coming from the top down by the intervention of superior force. We forget that the solution for many of our problems comes from the same source as the problem itself. The existence of a giant broom that would sweep our world and leave it all tidy and perfect would be wonderful, but that will never happen.

The "giants" and "monsters" that plague our lives and the world in which we live will not be overcome by even larger giants and stronger monsters. The “salvation” giants tend to be worse than what they replace. The solution lies in small and seemingly insignificant things.

The materialism that dominates our culture exalts apparent and superficial greatness. Things are judged by outward appearance. Success and failure are determined by financial statistics and popularity. "Selling" a good image is the secret of success. The "best" win out over the weak. Many churches enter this game by using the media to create images of grandeur in order to wield influence and draw public attention to themselves. But true faith acts silently and unobtrusively as does salt and yeast.

We do not know how to cherish the moments and events of our ordinary daily life. We are blind to the sacredness of every step, every act, every encounter and every breath. The real miracle lies in the simple and the common. The greatest miracle of all is to be alive. The daily routine is as miraculous as some inexplicable happening. The greatness of Jesus was in his simplicity and humility.

The people’s lack of faith of the village of Nazareth in a common person like Jesus created barriers to divine action. Faith helps us to see the divine action in the simple things of the daily routine and to participate with concrete actions in building a better world.

MARK 6:1-13 – NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION (NIV)

Jesus left there and went to his hometown, accompanied by his disciples. When the Sabbath came, he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were amazed.

“Where did this man get these things?” they asked. “What’s this wisdom that has been given him? What are these remarkable miracles he is performing? Isn’t this the carpenter? Isn’t this Mary’s son and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas and Simon? Aren’t his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him.

Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own town, among his relatives and in his own home.” He could not do any miracles there, except lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them. He was amazed at their lack of faith.

Then Jesus went around teaching from village to village. Calling the Twelve to him, he began to send them out two by two and gave them authority over impure spirits.

These were his instructions: “Take nothing for the journey except a staff—no bread, no bag, no money in your belts. Wear sandals but not an extra shirt. Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you leave that town. And if any place will not welcome you or listen to you, leave that place and shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them.”

They went out and preached that people should repent. They drove out many demons and anointed many sick people with oil and healed them.