Photo was taken yesterday at Ballylickey, Bantry, West Cork (Irl)

We often take our potato for granted. But they too have to grow as a plant, produce flowers and thrive in heat and sunshine. We may not have been getting much sunshine but these potatoes were really smiling yesterday in the small holding farm of Tim Rowe.

Thought on Sunday – July – 08/07/2012

The following reflection is by Jane Mellett called ‘Small Towns and Big Ideas’

And Jesus said to them, ‘A prophet is only despised in his own country, among his own relations and in his own house’ and he could work no miracle there, though he cured a few sick people by laying his hands on them. He was amazed at their lack of faith. ~Mark 6:5-6

Today’s story of Jesus visiting Nazareth is well known and probably well related to for many people. You can imagine the scene of a young man returning to his family, friends, those whom he grew up with, played with as a child and worked for. A young man arriving home to tell the people down the local about his travels, how well he is doing, how much he has changed and so on. And the response is still the same: ‘Who does that fella think he is?’ ‘Oh so you are an idealist now?’ Jesus is having such an experience in today’s Gospel as the people of his hometown simply won’t accept him.

He may have achieved wonderful things, only last week we heard of the miracles he worked. But the time has come to return to the home country and to teach there. People simply do not see him in the same way. We can sympathise with Jesus in this story, or perhaps recognise ourselves in those who refuse to accept that the local carpenter is now calling himself the Son of God. The people question him and his authority.
The Nazarenes are unable to see God working through someone who they know well. He is unable to be a prophet in his own country. Jesus can’t work miracles there because miracles require faith. How many times has Jesus come to us in the form of someone we knew well but we could not see him?