Jer 26:1-9 / Mt 13:54-58
It must have been fascinating to have been a neighbor or a relative of the Holy Family and to watch Jesus growing up from childhood through adolescence and finally into young adulthood. What was He like? St. Paul gives us an all-purpose answer: He was like us in all things except sin. And that means that He looked much like all His cousins. He laughed and cried, worked and sweated, stubbed His toes and smashed His fingers, and made all the usual innocent mistakes.
Only very slowly did Jesus come to an awareness of His unique mission from His Father, and even more slowly did He find the words to speak that mission. No wonder His family and friends were surprised and confused at what appeared to be a sudden departure from a quiet, stable life. They were so sure they knew everything there was to know about him. And in consequence, they couldn’t hear the truth and the wisdom of what He had to say. Familiarity does indeed breed contempt.
Take care that your surface familiarity with Jesus doesn’t cause you to think you’ve heard all He has to say. Hearing all that is a lifetime project, so listen carefully and with fresh ears.
August 1st, 2008 at 12:57 pm
You Were there? Neither Was I. But I’ll bet he knew, because he’s God. It’s A Mystery and always will be. It just creeps me out to when someone trys to put the all to” Human ” spin on The Trinity. No Offence ,But I Believe We Are the Only ones who come to Know Him “Slowly” over time . Peace , MW
August 4th, 2008 at 12:05 pm
I was also concerned about Monsignor Clark’s “confident” assertion that “only very slowly did Jesus come to an awareness of His unique mission”. I think this can touch on some complex issues having to do with how Jesus in His human nature “acquired” some knowledge, but overall it is at best misleading to say that Jesus was not aware of His messianic dignity.
In 1907, Pope Saint Pius X rejected the Modernist proposition that “Christ did not always possess the consciousness of His Messianic dignity.”[See http://www.cuf.org/faithfacts/details_view.asp?ffID=38) (See also CCC 474)
Perhaps Msgr Clark did not intend to assert this, but it is something that is quite misleading. It has been trendy (and wrong) for people to assert that Jesus didn’t know Who He was until He heard the Father’s voice at his baptism. I wonder if CE can provide some clarification in this issue? God bless, John