Mark 6:1-6
A Prophet Without Honor
1 Jesus left there and went to his hometown, accompanied by his disciples. 2 When the Sabbath came, he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were amazed.
“Where did this man get these things?” they asked. “What’s this wisdom that has been given him? What are these remarkable miracles he is performing? 3 Isn't this the carpenter? Isn't this Mary’s son and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas and Simon? Aren't his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him.
4 Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own town, among his relatives and in his own home.” 5 He could not do any miracles there, except lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them. 6 He was amazed at their lack of faith.
When Jesus first comes back to His hometown after He has started His ministry, He has been heard of...He seems to have gained a reputation...He had done some of His initial preaching in Capernaum and around Galilee...When He started preaching on the Sabbath in His hometown, many who knew Him and heard Him were amazed...I am sure the local people thought that this is One of ours, maybe a local Hero from our own town...And somehow what He preached and how He preached is different...He is like no other preacher and Rabbi...He knows the Bible...The local people around Him, who had seen Him grow up, had questions about Him...They had surely heard about His ministry, His miracles, and what He was doing around the nearby villages and towns in Israel...They surely had heard of His miracles and His unusual authority that He had been given...Now firsthand they had both seen Him, and heard Him preach on the Sabbath...What a sermon could this Rabbi deliver...
“Where did this Man get these things?” they asked...“What’s this wisdom that has been given Him?...What are these remarkable miracles He is performing?...Isn't this the carpenter?...Isn't this Mary’s Son and the Brother of James, Joseph, Judas and Simon?...Aren't His sisters here with us?”...And for some reason, they took offense at Him...All of the mysteries surrounding Him settled down, when they realized He was the Son of Joseph and Mary...Jesus said to them, “A Prophet is not without honor except in His own town, among His relatives and in His own home.”...He could not do any miracles there, except lay His hands on a few sick people and heal them...He was amazed at their lack of faith...
The people are amazed at His abilities, and Jesus is amazed at their lack of faith in Him...When people who have grown up with you and have a history with you, they often lose any mystery that might be surrounding them...Ones who do not know you, can very well see you as mysterious and new...But those who have known you for years, often feel you are one of them, and they know your parents, known you when you were young, and how you grew up...But in saying this, I believe, that Jesus was a most unusual Boy...
Could the local people felt something different now about Him?...Could He be different from what they thought?...What might have changed Him?...Did Someone educate Him?...Who might have changed Him?...How did He know so much about the Bible in His teaching at the local synagogue...Where did He go to get that kind of wisdom?...
Through the eyes of there knowing the Young Jesus, it seems they could not see the Jesus who grew up and now could do miracles...Miracles require faith...He could do miracles in His hometown, because of what they believed...We must keep an open heart and open eyes in our beliefs and our faith...He could not do any miracles there in His hometown, except lay His hands on a few sick people and heal them...He was amazed at their lack of faith....Faith and miracles come from what we believe in...