A prophet is not without honour, except in his own country.
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
In today’s Gospel, Jesus returns to His hometown of Nazareth. This should have been a moment of joy and welcome. After all, these were His people, the ones who knew Him as a child, who had seen Him grow, who had shared daily life with Him. Yet, instead of faith, He encounters resistance; instead of trust, suspicion; instead of openness, unbelief.
The people ask the right questions but with the wrong hearts:
“Where did this man get all this?”
“What wisdom is this?”
Rather than allowing these questions to lead them to faith, they allow familiarity to harden into contempt. They reduce Jesus to what they think they know: “Is this not the carpenter?” In doing so, they close themselves to what God is doing right in front of them.
This Gospel reveals a deep spiritual danger for all of us: the danger of thinking we already know God. Familiarity with faith, Scripture, Church life, or even Jesus Himself can sometimes dull our sense of wonder. We may attend Mass regularly, hear the Word often, and yet stop truly listening. We may believe we know how God should act, and when He does not fit our expectations, we resist Him.
Jesus’ words are sobering:
“A prophet is not without honour except in his own country, among his own kin, and in his own house.”
This is not merely about Nazareth. It is about the human heart. God often speaks through ordinary means, through family members, through priests we know well, through daily situations, through quiet inspirations. When pride, prejudice, or closed mindedness take root, we miss God’s voice.
The Gospel tells us that Jesus could do no mighty work there because of their unbelief. This does not mean that God’s power is limited, but that faith is the door through which grace enters. Where hearts are closed, grace is resisted. Where faith is alive, even small acts like Jesus laying His hands on a few sick people become channels of healing.
Let us ask ourselves honestly today:
- Have I become too familiar with God to truly trust Him?
- Do I dismiss the voice of God when it challenges me?
- Do I allow unbelief, pride, or comfort to block God’s work in my life?
Yet the Gospel ends with hope. Jesus does not stop His mission. He goes on teaching in the villages. God’s mercy is persistent. Even when rejected, Christ continues to call, to teach, and to heal.
May this Gospel invite us to renew our faith, not a faith of habit, but a faith of humility and openness. Let us receive Jesus not as someone we think we already know, but as the living Lord who still desires to act powerfully in our lives.
Let us Pray
Lord Jesus Christ,
You came to Your own, yet many did not recognize You.
Free our hearts from pride, familiarity, and disbelief.
Teach us to listen with humility,
to welcome Your Word even when it challenges us,
and to trust in Your presence even when You come in ordinary ways.
Open our hearts to receive Your grace,
so that You may work mightily within us.
Strengthen our faith, deepen our love,
and help us to honour You as Lord and Savior
in every moment of our lives.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen.