Matthew 13:54-55
Dear Fathers, Friends in Christ,
'The Limits We Impose on Others'
Where did this man get such wisdom and mighty deeds? Is he not the carpenter's son?
Matthew 13:54-55
Although this attitude expressed by his hometown folks prevented Jesus from healing and ministering to them, it didn't seem to harm his ability to heal and minister to others. However, I think that for many people growing up, such attitudes can foster a lifetime of underachievement.
How many of us heard that "girls" or "fat kids" or "our people" of whatever kind "can't do that" when "that" was winning a prize, getting selected for a special job or going to college? These statements have a way of creeping under our skin so that we recite the limits to ourselves. Even those of us who rebelled against the limits and succeeded anyway can often feel like frauds in our success because we weren't supposed to succeed.
This makes me realize that I have to be aware of what I say to people, particularly younger people, and be careful not to impose limits on them. If God gives us all freedom to succeed, who are we to limit each other?
Father Ed Bakker
Anglican Catholic Church / Original Province
Mission of Saint Aidan of Lindisfarne
Bendigo
Australia
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