“Jesus left that place and came to his hometown, and his disciples followed him. 2 On the Sabbath he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astounded. They said, ‘Where did this man get all this? What is this wisdom that has been given to him? What deeds of power are being done by his hands! 3 Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon, and are not his sisters here with us?’ And they took offense at him. 4 Then Jesus said to them, ‘Prophets are not without honor, except in their hometown and among their own kin and in their own house.’ 5 And he could do no deed of power there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and cured them. 6 And He was amazed at their unbelief” Mark 6:1-6.
We are looking at the Gospel of Mark, and one of the things we have already seen are a series of questions raised by those who have heard Jesus’ teachings and witnessed His amazing miracles.
He heals a man with an unclean spirit, and His eyewitnesses say this: “27 They were all amazed, and they kept on asking one another, What is this? A new teaching—with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him’” Mark 1:27.
Next, some teachers of the religious laws question Jesus’ forgiving of sins: “6 Now some of the scribes were sitting there questioning in their hearts, ‘7 Why does this fellow speak in this way? It is blasphemy! Who can forgive sins but God alone’” Mark 2:6-7?
Even Jesus’ disciples ask themselves: “41 And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him” Mark 4:41?
The hometown crowd does not go as far as the teachers of the law from Jerusalem who ascribe it to Beelzebul, an unpardonable sin: “22 And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem said, “He has Beelzebul, and by the ruler of the demons he casts out demons” Mark 3:22. The crowd simply thinks it is unlikely that God can work so drastically in this fellow, Jesus, who comes into their mix. They only see the mustard see and nothing else.
Blindness to the truth of Jesus Christ takes many forms, and those closest to Jesus do not have an advantage in understanding who Jesus is. They are perplexed about the source of Jesus’ wisdom and deeds and ask themselves in today’s text above: “2 Where did this man get all this? What is this wisdom that has been given to him? What deeds of power are being done by his hands! 3 Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon, and are not his sisters here with us?’ And they took offense at Him” Mark 6:2-3.
How about you and me? What do our little brains tell us about the love, the grace, and the power of Jesus Christ? How much do we lean, instead, on news broadcasts and social media sources? How much do we listen to our own blessed opinions and thoughts? I AM GUILTY OF ALL THE ABOVE!
So today I am going to pray for God’s mercy, once again.
Lord, may I never question You again. Instead, may I obey everything You say, and follow You.
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, have mercy on me a sinner.
From the Bible:
“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen”
Hebrews 11:1.
“So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ” Romans 10:17.
“For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you” Matthew 17:20.
“For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith” 1 John 5:4.
.
Comments