The opening scene in the first reading describes the background. Moses is a Hebrew adopted by Pharoah's daughter but had to flee to Midian, a land of non- Israelites, because he had killed an Egyptian. Interestingly, his own countrymen questioned his credentials: "Who has appointed you ruler and judge over us?" It is precisely this questioning that determines what happens next in the life of Moses. His flight sets into action the events that will alter his life forever. Moses, who is seen as a man with dubious credentials, is used by God to play a decisive role in the history of the people of Israel.

In the Gospel passage, Jesus condemns certain cities in and around Galilee, representing "this generation". He has worked His "mighty works" in these cities. These miracles, like the proclamation they accompanied, were meant to point to the Kingdom's coming and call people to repentance. However, the miracles fell on deaf ears. Therefore, their unrepentance calls forth for a stricter judgement than that of the unrepentant cities of the Old Testament – Sodom, Tyre and Sidon. The warning of judgement by Jesus in these cities demonstrates the decisive importance of Jesus in human history.

The credentials of Jesus and Moses were questioned by their own countrymen. Yet, how each responded to God's call determined their place of importance in His plan of salvation. In this regard, others may question our credentials, but what really matters is how we respond to God's call in our lives.