The French military and political leader who rose to
prominence and became Napoleon I, Emperor of the French from 1804 to 1815,
is often quoted saying: “The world
suffers a lot, not because of the violence of bad people, but because of the
silence of good people!” We easily remember, too, Martin Luther King, Jr.
expressing his similar disappointment: “History will have to record that the
greatest tragedy of this period of social transition was not the strident
clamor of the bad people, but the appalling silence of the good people.”
Why do good people remain silent in the face of
evil? Why do witnesses to evil deeds
turn a blind eye and pretend that everything is just fine?
To denounce that which runs contrary to the values of
God’s Kingdom and to proclaim, on the other hand, the tidings of liberation to those
who have been suffering is a prophetic task. And prophets have the reputation
of being rejected, insulted, persecuted, and finally executed! Who would like
to take up this cause?
But still we feel a real sense of disappointment with
good people who do not do anything but to protect themselves within their
comfort zones while knowing full well that many are suffering. We are disappointed because inherent to
goodness is the prophetic mission to proclaim the truth and expose the evil.
Today’s readings encourage us to take up our prophetic task as Christians. The experience of rejection, no doubt, will have to be part of this mission but the readings assure us that God enables us to fulfil our task. Three assurances overshadow our fear of rejection: One, that God cares; two, that God’s grace strengthens us in our weakness; three, that God’s saving power works even in the ordinary.
A word for each:
The assurance that God cares. In the first reading (Ez 2: 2-5), the prophet Ezekiel is sent by God to the rebellious Israelites. God cautions Ezekiel of the people’s obstinacy of heart. Hence, there is a great probability of the prophet being unheeded or rejected. Nevertheless, God instructs Ezekiel to proclaim God’s message to this rebellious people, whether they heed or resist, that they may know “that a prophet has been among them” (v. 5). In other words, God wants the people to know, even if they persist in their obstinacy, that God cares for them. The prophet’s presence among them is a reminder that God never gives up on them.
God cares. He is unhappy when evil seems to prevail and causing the suffering of his children. Good people are invited to be the sign of God’s love and care amid the suffering of people.
The assurance of God’s grace. We may feel weak in the face of insults and rejection. The second reading (2 Cor 12: 7-10) assures us of the empowering grace of God. St. Paul attests to what the Lord said to him in his moments of weakness: “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness.” This gives St. Paul the confidence to embrace weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and constraints for the sake of Christ. “For when I am weak,” he attests,”it is then that I am strong” (v. 10).
The assurance that God cares. In the first reading (Ez 2: 2-5), the prophet Ezekiel is sent by God to the rebellious Israelites. God cautions Ezekiel of the people’s obstinacy of heart. Hence, there is a great probability of the prophet being unheeded or rejected. Nevertheless, God instructs Ezekiel to proclaim God’s message to this rebellious people, whether they heed or resist, that they may know “that a prophet has been among them” (v. 5). In other words, God wants the people to know, even if they persist in their obstinacy, that God cares for them. The prophet’s presence among them is a reminder that God never gives up on them.
God cares. He is unhappy when evil seems to prevail and causing the suffering of his children. Good people are invited to be the sign of God’s love and care amid the suffering of people.
The assurance of God’s grace. We may feel weak in the face of insults and rejection. The second reading (2 Cor 12: 7-10) assures us of the empowering grace of God. St. Paul attests to what the Lord said to him in his moments of weakness: “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness.” This gives St. Paul the confidence to embrace weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and constraints for the sake of Christ. “For when I am weak,” he attests,”it is then that I am strong” (v. 10).
When God calls a prophet, He empowers him with his grace.
What God requires, He enables.
The assurance of God’s
power in the ordinary. The rejection
of Jesus by his townsfolk in today’s gospel reading (Mk 6:1-6) is due to the
people’s familiarity with Jesus’ background.
They could not reconcile his authoritative teachings and miracles with
his ordinariness. “How is it such
miraculous deeds are accomplished by his hands? Isn’t this the carpenter, the
son of Mary...?” (v. 3) The people lacked faith in him for they could not see
the power of God in the ordinary and familiar person of Jesus.
In Jesus, the carpenter, the familiar, the ordinary is
the saving power of God. God works even
through the most ordinary people, events, and circumstances. He can work
through us.
We are challenged to confront so many forms of evil
today: Corruption that leads to poverty and destitution, injustices and
oppression, unbridled cravings for consumption and ecological exploitation that
threaten the very survival of Mother Earth, erosion of moral values, and degradation
of human life to mention a few.
Good people ought not to remain silent in the face of these evils. We, Christians, for that matter, ought to take up our prophetic mission...
...even if there’s no promise of being accepted by
obstinate hearts, if only to show that God is present amid our suffering as
people and that God cares and does not give up on us.
...even if we know full well our own weakness and fear in
the face of insults and persecution, for we know too that God’s grace is our
strength.
...even if we are just simple individuals and citizens,
for God’s saving power has no difficulty working in the familiar and the ordinary.
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