IS HE NOT THE CARPENTER’S SON?

Jer 26,1-9; Ps 68; Mt 13,54-58
3 AUGUST
Ancient Scripture tells us that the greatest kings of the past, David and Solomon, have been elevated to such greatness only by the Lord. David’s own future is entirely made by the Lord. They did not make themselves. They were made entirely by God. Even the Virgin Mary sees herself as the work of her God.

“Now then, speak thus to my servant David, ‘The Lord of hosts has this to say: It was I who took you from the pasture and from the care of the flock to be commander of my people Israel. I have been with you wherever you went, and I have destroyed all your enemies before you. And I will make you famous like the great ones of the earth. I will fix a place for my people Israel; I will plant them so that they may dwell in their place without further disturbance. Neither shall the wicked continue to afflict them as they did of old, since the time I first appointed judges over my people Israel. I will give you rest from all your enemies. The Lord also reveals to you that he will establish a house for you. And when your time comes and you rest with your ancestors, I will raise up your heir after you, sprung from your loins, and I will make his kingdom firm. It is he who shall build a house for my name. And I will make his royal throne firm forever. I will be a father to him, and he shall be a son to me. And if he does wrong, I will correct him with the rod of men and with human chastisements; but I will not withdraw my favour from him as I withdrew it from your predecessor Saul, whom I removed from my presence. Your house and your kingdom shall endure forever before me; your throne shall stand firm forever'” (2Sam 7,8-16).

And Mary said: “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my saviour. For he has looked upon his handmaid’s lowliness; behold, from now on will all ages call me blessed. The Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name. His mercy is from age to age to those who fear him. He has shown might with his arm, dispersed the arrogant of mind and heart. He has thrown down the rulers from their thrones but lifted up the lowly. The hungry he has filled with good things; the rich he has sent away empty. He has helped Israel his servant, remembering his mercy, according to his promise to our fathers, to Abraham and to his descendants forever” (Lk 1,46-55).

If this truth is the essence and substance of all Revelation, why do the inhabitants of Nazareth think that everything must come from flesh and blood? The answer is the same that Jesus gave to Peter when he told him not to go to Jerusalem.

From that time on, Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer greatly from the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed and on the third day be raised. Then Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, “God forbid, Lord! No such thing shall ever happen to you.” He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are an obstacle to me. You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do” (Mt 16,21-23).

When Christ Jesus is not seen in his mystery entirely from the Father and as the Father sees him, it is the sign that we think from the flesh, according to men and not according to God, in the Holy Spirit. We are not in the Spirit and we do not think according to the Spirit.

He came to his native place and taught the people in their synagogue. They were astonished and said, “Where did this man get such wisdom and mighty deeds? Is he not the carpenter’s son? Is not his mother named Mary and his brothers James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas? Are not his sisters all with us? Where did this man get all this?” And they took offense at him. But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honour except in his native place and in his own house.” And he did not work many mighty deeds there because of their lack of faith.

The Father, Christ Jesus and the Holy Spirit are one mystery. He sees Christ Jesus as the Father does who is in the Holy Spirit. Never might whoever is not in the Holy Spirit see Christ the Lord as the Father sees him. He will see him as men see him, a man among men. Whoever is not in the Holy Spirit he will not even see the other men as the Father sees them. He sees them as redeemers and they are not. He thinks they are saviours and they are not. He believes them to be revealers of the true God and they are not. He sees according to God who is in the Spirit of God.

Faithful Virgin, Angels and Saints, fill us with the Holy Spirit to see according to God.