In today’s Gospel, we see the importance of the domestic church, the idea that the first area in which Christians are called to spread the Gospel and evangelize is in their own homes and communities. We are told that Jesus went to his native place and taught; the people there were astonished and wondered how Jesus was able to do the mighty acts He did (Matthew 13:54). It is too often that we make ourselves believe that being faithful within our homes is useless, and we may feel the need to immediately go out into the world and shine Jesus. While that is important, we must never forget to start at the place that is most foundational to us: home. We see in today’s Gospel that the people in the native place of Christ were astonished when he taught; the people closest to us will notice the way we act.
Unfortunately, when those closest to us start examining how we act, it can quickly turn into them nitpicking our every move. The people in today’s Gospel immediately start questioning Jesus’ credibility (Matthew 13:55-56). Christ never promised that life as a Christian would be easy, and that is on full display in this story. We are in a sort of transparent glass box when we let others know we are Christians; what this means is that we are held to a higher standard, and every move we make is examined by those around us to make sure we are practicing what we preach. When we say we are Christian, it is easier for others to begin noticing when we don’t act Christian; we are simply examined more closely. If another notices a sin you commit and decides to lay into you for it, you must not let this discourage you. We all sin, and every time, God is waiting for us, with His infinite mercy, to come back home to Him. He is our ultimate home.
Jesus acknowledges that “a prophet is not without honor except in his native place and in his own house” (Matthew 13:57). In response, “he did not work many mighty deeds there because of their lack of faith” (Matthew 13:58). Their lack of faith blocked them from being able to fully open themselves up to God and receive His love; they didn’t use their free will to accept him. In our earthly homes, we may see this happen to those we love. However, we need not let this discourage us. We must do what we can to show Jesus, but ultimately, those other people are in the hands of the Father. We must run to our ultimate home and let Him take care of it.