A HOMETOWN FOR JESUS, A HEART FOR HIS CALL

Mt 11:20-24

If you have gone to the Holy Land, you would have noticed at the entrance of the Holy Site in Capernaum the words: “Welcome to Capernaum, The Hometown of Jesus”.

If Capernaum is the hometown of Jesus, why in the world is He condemning it in the Gospel today? Jesus says, “As for you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to the heaven? You will go down to the netherworld. For if the mighty deeds done in your midst had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. But I tell you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom on the Day of Judgment than for you.” Jesus runs the risk of being judged a persona non grata. Jesus grew up in Nazareth, but Capernaum is considered His hometown because it was Capernaum that welcomed Jesus when Nazareth rejected Him. Yet to the town that opened wide its arms to Him, Jesus brings upon a rather heavy hand. Why?

Pride. That’s why.

Capernaum, as well as Chorazin and Bethsaida, the two other towns mentioned in the Gospel today, refuses to repent from their sins. While it welcomes Jesus, it shuts its heart to the call of Jesus to conversion of life. It gives a home to the homeless Jesus, but refuses to welcome His message. Again, why?

Pride. That’s why.

Pride makes it difficult for anyone to accept that he is a sinner like the rest of humanity. Pride is one of the biggest obstacles to contrition from sin and conversion of life. The proud-hearted cannot even be forgiven, for he will never even accept forgiveness, in the first place. Thus, hard shall be the judgment on the proud-hearted. The saddest thing about it is that the proud-hearted himself causes his own condemnation.

Today, let us pray for the grace of humility. Let us do our best to be more and more humble each day, too. There is no other way by which we can approach God except on our knees. And those who are on their knees before God, God can only help them rise to their feet and exalt them.

If Capernaum is indeed the hometown of Jesus, should we not rather look up to it to learn how to be humble? If Jesus truly dwells in us, should we not be models of humility? The humble answers, “Yes”. But the proud says, “I already am!”