Prophets and honour
Ezekiel 2:2–5; Ps. 123; 2 Corinthians 12:7–10; Mark 6:1-6
Today’s readings present us with the basic themes of “prophets and honor.” The question is: what does it mean to honour a prophet, and why do people dishonour a prophet? Mark 6:4 captures this question when Jesus says, “A prophet is not without honour, except in his own country.” Let us explore the various meanings implied in the statement.
1. “A prophet is not without honour, except in his own country” (Mark 6:4) redirects our minds to the character of prophets. There are many reasons why people dishonour prophets that we should not just overlook. Some reasons are heretical messages, personal biases and prejudices, lack of faith, spiritual immaturity, pride, misconceptions or misinformation and falsehood, worldly attachments, and distractions. It’s human to detest questionable character; hence, we should work on maintaining prophetic integrity.
2. “A prophet is not without honour, except in his own country” (Mark 6:4) is a statement of fact about the Jewish prophets. For example, in 1 Kings 18:4, Queen Jezebel killed several prophets; in 1 Kings 19:1-2, she tried to kill Elijah; and in Jeremiah 38:6, Jeremiah was thrown into a cistern. In the New Testament, Paul was mocked for his weaknesses. Today, anyone who preaches the truth or speaks for the voiceless, the poor, and the marginalised faces similar trials.
3. A prophet is not without honour, except in his own country” (Mark 6:4) shows how Jesus was treated with contempt. Familiarity is good; it brings us into one family. But over-familiarity breeds contempt. Some people can’t manage familiarity, and probably because of this, some people don’t get familiar enough to keep their respect. Even psychologists hold that, on average, we like people less the more we know about them. The “mere-exposure effect phenomenon” shows that just being exposed to someone causes us to like them more. This explains why many of us are eternal optimists about forming new relationships, while those we already have have become lukewarm. The closer you are to Jesus, the more you should be broken in adoration, admiration, and contemplation.
4. “A prophet is not without honour, except in his own country.” One interpretation of this scripture is that if we dishonour a prophet, we will never be able to draw his covering. The gospel specifically mentions this as the reason why Jesus was unable to execute mighty acts among his followers (Mark. 6:5). Let’s learn to appreciate and honour spiritual authorities.
5. “A prophet is not without honour, except in his own country” (Mark 6:4) speaks of the challenges that prophets go through. Jesus came to his own people; he was disrespected. Ezekiel was sent to the sons of Israel regardless of their rebellious character (first reading). Paul insisted on preaching God’s word despite the struggles in his personal life (second reading). Trials or hostility should not deter us from preaching about Christ.
6. “A prophet is not without honour, except in his own ountry.” (Mark 6:4) We all need discipline to curtail our excesses. The indiscipline of Jesus’ neighbours was expressed in the way they ignored him. Often times, our approach to Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament mirrors traits of indiscipline, over-familiarity, and lack of faith.
Let us pray
O God, who in the abasement of your Son has raised up a fallen world, fill your faithful with holy joy, for on those you have rescued from slavery to sin you bestow eternal gladness. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Fr. Daniel Evbotokhai
