A homily on Mark 3:20–21 : Are you Misunderstood : (24-1-26)

 A  lovely meditation on Mark 3:20–21 exploring how following God’s call can be misunderstood, with lessons from saints and the Old Testament. (24-1-26)

Praise be to Jesus Christ 

There was a young man who was inspired by the example of saints like Francis of Assisi and Mother Teresa, began to spend his days among the poor. He fed the hungry, visited the sick, and shared everything he had. He even began to eat with them, live simply, and follow a rhythm of life very different from his family and society.

Soon, people began to talk about him. Some whispered that he had lost his mind. His own family grew worried and said he was acting strangely. Confused and hurt, the young man went to a priest one day and, with tears in his eyes, cried, “Father, I am trying to do good, to follow God’s call, yet everyone thinks I am abnormal. Am I doing something wrong?” The priest listened patiently, then looked at him kindly and said, “After doing all good to every and then people say that you are abnormal, you are only a few step away from becoming Christ.”

This story brought us immediately to the Gospel of the day. In Mark 3:20–21, Jesus entered a house, and the crowd around him grew so large that he and his disciples could not even eat. When his family heard about this, they went out to seize him, saying, “He was out of his mind.” Jesus was misunderstood, not because he did anything wrong, but because he lived in a way that challenged human comfort. He preached on the Sabbath, healed when others rested, forgave without limit, touched the unclean, and formed disciples from ordinary people. His love was radical, and it appeared abnormal to those who measured life by order, wealth, or social convention.

This experience of being misunderstood was not unique to Jesus, but it was the experience of everyone who stood for God and for the truth. In the Old Testament, prophets often faced similar rejection. Jeremiah was called a troublemaker for warning the people of Jerusalem. Elijah was seen as one who disturbed Israel because he spoke the truth to power. Love and obedience to God, even when they did good, often appeared excessive to human eyes.

The Gospel challenges us to see that following God’s call may sometimes set us apart. Saints like Francis of Assisi embraced poverty, simplicity, and service, earning scorn before admiration. Mother Teresa’s work among the dying in Calcutta was initially questioned as unrealistic or extreme. Gandhi, showed how love and nonviolence could appear foolish to those around him. All of them lived “abnormal” lives in the eyes of society, yet through that very abnormality; they drew closer to God and became instruments of transforming society.

As we meditate on this passage, we need to ask ourselves: do we give up when our love, prayer, or service is misunderstood by family, friends, or society, or do we continue our effort in  faith? Like the young man in the story, or like many saintly persons, we may feel lonely or discouraged. But we need to understand that God’s call often leads us through discomfort and misunderstanding. Being seen as abnormal may be a sign that we are walking close to Christ, who himself was rejected and misunderstood by those closest to him.

Let us take courage from the young man’s encounter with the priest and from the lives of the saints. Misunderstanding is not a sign of failure, and radical love is not madness. Let us not stop doing good when people ridicule us. The question is very relevant today: are we, or am I, ready to become abnormal, as Jesus became abnormal?

Lord Jesus, help us to follow you radically, even when the world misunderstands us. Amen.

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