Mark 6:1-6a
1 Jesus went out from there and *came into His hometown; and His disciples *followed Him.
2 And when the Sabbath came, He began to teach in the synagogue; and the many listeners were astonished, saying, “Where did this Man learn these things, and what is this wisdom that has been given to Him, and such miracles as these performed by His hands?
3 Is this not the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon? And are His sisters not here with us?” And they took offense at Him.
4 Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not dishonored except in his hometown and among his own relatives, and in his own household.”
5 And He could not do any miracle there except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them.
6 And He was amazed at their unbelief. And He was going around the villages, teaching.
Jesus’ Rejection at Nazareth
Returning to Nazareth
In Luke 4:16-31, it is recorded that Jesus, entering into His public ministry, visited His hometown of Nazareth and preached there. Jesus entered the synagogue on the Sabbath day and read from the book of the prophet Isaiah and said, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” This was Jesus’ proclamation that He is the Messiah, but the people of Nazareth did not accept it. In today’s passage, Jesus gives the people of Nazareth another opportunity to believe. He probably couldn’t bear forsaking His own hometown. Here, the village of Nazareth serves as a litmus test representing the spiritual state of all of Israel. Ultimately, the people of Nazareth reject Jesus. This at the same time, foreshadows the rejection of Jesus by the entire nation of Israel. John 1:11 states, “He came to His own, and His own people did not accept Him.”
Unbelief of the people of Nazareth
So, what was the problem of the people of Nazareth? (1) They acknowledged that Jesus had wisdom and the power to perform miracles. (2) What was unfortunate to them was the fact that they were all too close to Jesus. They said to one another, “Is this not the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon? And are His sisters not here with us? (3) Jesus expressed deep sorrow and spoke those famous words, “A prophet is not dishonored except in his hometown and among his own relatives, and in his own household.” (4) Jesus not only mourned but was also amazed. He had been amazed by the faith of a Gentile centurion in the past (Matt. 8:10), but here, He was amazed at the unbelief of the people of Nazareth. As a result, other than the few sick people whom Jesus laid His hands on, He did not perform any other mighty work. Unbelief restricts the power of God. Is Jesus amazed at your faith, or is He amazed at your unbelief? Let’s learn a lesson from the failure of the people in Nazareth.
Today's prayer
Father God of Jesus Christ, You are my friend and my Lord, worthy of all worship. Today, I walk again trusting in You. May Your glory shine through me. I pray in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.