From today’s Scripture: “Jesus came to his native place and taught the people in their synagogue. They were astonished and said, “Where did this man get such wisdom and mighty deeds? Is he not the carpenter’s son?” — Mt 13:54-55

Sometimes, we can feel defined by others in ways that feel constraining. We can feel judged by where we came from, our past, our family background, or something else. No matter how much we grow, some people will never let that image of you go. Those moments can feel very defeating. But even Jesus experienced much the same thing when he returned to his hometown and was misjudged by his longtime neighbors, who thought of him only as the carpenter’s son from Nazareth. Even Nathanael asked Philip, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” And Philip said, “Come and see.” Let us find comfort and encouragement in that while we may be misjudged by those who feel they know us, it is in Christ that we find our true identity. Our past or background need not define our present, or our future. For in Christ all things can be made new. So yes, something good can come from our own Nazareth.

Let us pray: Dear Jesus, help me to find consolation in you when I feel misunderstood and misjudged by those around me.

Today’s author is Julia Sauter, a member of Glenmary’s Development team. She holds a master’s degree in Ethics and Social Theory from the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, California.

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