Jesus said to them,
“A prophet is not without honor except in his native place
and among his own kin and in his own house.”
MARK 6:4
Jesus spoke the truth with wisdom and grace, but they did not listen, they turned their face. He healed the sick and raised the dead but they did not follow, they mocked instead. He came to His own, but His own rejected Him. He offered them life, but they chose their sin. He was a prophet, but not in His hometown. He was the king, but they tore His crown. He suffered and died, but He rose again. He conquered the grave, He broke the chain. He is the Savior, the Lord of all. He is the Messiah, who hears our call.
Accept Jesus as Your Lord and Savior. He loves you more than you can know. He died for you to save your soul. He rose again to give you hope. He wants you to accept His love. He is calling you to follow Him. He is waiting for you to answer. He is offering you His grace. See and know yourself in the light of the Lord's revelation. You may be rejected by others but the Lord will always be with you.
1 Jesus departed from there and came to his native place, accompanied by his disciples. 2 When the sabbath came he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astonished. They said, “Where did this man get all this? What kind of wisdom has been given him? What mighty deeds are wrought by his hands! 3 Is he not the carpenter, the son of Mary, and the brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him. 4 Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his native place and among his own kin and in his own house.” 5 So he was not able to perform any mighty deed there, apart from curing a few sick people by laying his hands on them. 6 He was amazed at their lack of faith. (Mark 6:1-6)
The Lord offers you alternatives for your sin. These may be hard and difficult but you must accept to face its dire consequences. God sees the sin that stains your heart and knows the pain that tears you apart. The Lord never intends that you suffer for He is the Lord, the God of mercy, compassionate, kind, and gentle. He will not force you to obey and respects your free will and voice. It is your sin and guilt that weighs you down.
Do not be foolish but be wise in the Lord. The Lord warns you of the dangers of sin. He teaches you the value of wisdom and shows you the path of righteousness. He gives you His spirit as a guide to your soul. Let the Lord guide you in all your decisions so that all things will turn out well for you.
2 King David said to Joab and the leaders of the army who were with him, “Tour all the tribes in Israel from Dan to Beer-sheba and register the people, that I may know their number.” 9 Joab then reported to the king the number of people registered in Israel, eight hundred thousand men fit for military service; in Judah, five hundred thousand. 10 Afterward, however, David regretted having numbered the people, and said to the Lord: “I have sinned grievously in what I have done. But now, Lord, forgive the guilt of your servant, for I have been very foolish.” 11 When David rose in the morning, the Lord had spoken to the prophet Gad, David’s seer, saying 12 “Go and say to David, ‘This is what the Lord says: I offer you three alternatives; choose one of them, and I will inflict it on you.’” 13 Gad then went to David to inform him. He asked: “Do you want a three years’ famine to come upon your land, or to flee from your enemy three months while he pursues you, or to have a three days’ pestilence in your land? Now consider and decide what I must reply to him who sent me.” 14 David answered Gad: “I am in very serious difficulty. Let us fall by the hand of God, for he is most merciful; but let me not fall by the hand of man.” 15 Thus David chose the pestilence. Now it was the time of the wheat harvest when the plague broke out among the people. The Lord then sent a pestilence over Israel from morning until the time appointed, and seventy thousand of the people from Dan to Beer-sheba died. 16 But when the angel stretched forth his hand toward Jerusalem to destroy it, the Lord regretted the calamity and said to the angel causing the destruction among the people, “Enough now! Stay your hand.” The angel of the Lord was then standing at the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite. 17 When David saw the angel who was striking the people, he said to the Lord: “It is I who have sinned; it is I, the shepherd, who have done wrong. But these are sheep; what have they done? Punish me and my kindred.” (2 Samuel 24:2, 9-17)
God sees you as you are, not as you pretend to be. He loves you as you are, not as you wish to be. He accepts you as you are, not as you ought to be. Confess your faults to the Lord and He will take away the guilt of your sin. He shall cleanse you from all unrighteousness and free you from all bondage and distress. He is the Lord, the God of forgiveness, ever merciful, tender, and faithful who is with you in every moment.
1 Blessed is he whose fault is taken away, whose sin is covered. 2 Blessed the man to whom the Lord imputes not guilt, in whose spirit there is no guile. 5 Then I acknowledged my sin to you; my guilt I covered not. I said, “I confess my faults to the Lord,” and you took away the guilt of my sin. For this shall every faithful man pray to you in time of stress. Though deep watersoverflow, they shall not reach him. 7 You are my shelter; from distress you will preserve me; with glad cries of freedom you will ring me round. (Psalm 32:1-2, 5, 6, 7)
Lord Jesus, You are my Lord and Savior. I accept You and welcome You to my heart. Please forgive me for the times I have acted out of foolishness and ignorance that have led me to sin. Help me dear Lord for face the consequences of my acts and not to commit the same mistakes again. Thank You for loving me despite my sins. I surrender to You and follow You. I praise You and worship You. I love You and adore You. Amen.
Pericope:
II: The Mystery of Jesus
THE REJECTION AT NAZARETH
Mark 6:1-6
IV: The Reign of David
CENSUS OF THE PEOPLE / THE PESTILENCE
2 Samuel 24:1-9 / 10-17
First Book of Psalms 1-41
REMISSION OF SIN
Psalm 32:1-11
