Disciples Must Be Prepared For Rejection

Welcome back to our study of the Gospel of Mark, “Lessons in Discipleship.” If you’re visiting today or haven’t been with us for a while, let me catch you up.

Mark’s Gospel opens with Jesus launching His ministry in the northern region of Israel—Galilee. His fame spreads quickly, drawing crowds and stirring curiosity. But it also attracts the attention of the religious authorities, who come to investigate. And needless to say, they don’t like what they find.

In fact, the early chapters of Mark record five distinct conflicts between Jesus and the religious leaders. By chapter 3, the tension escalates: scribes from Jerusalem arrive and make shocking accusations—they claim Jesus casts out demons by the power of Satan, and that is is possessed by an unclean spirit

It’s at this point that Jesus shifts His teaching style. Up until now, He’s been speaking pretty openly—talking plainly about the coming kingdom and revealing that He is the Messiah. But now, He starts teaching in parables—stories with deeper meaning tucked inside.

So why the change? Because the people who were rejecting Him had already hardened their hearts. They weren’t interested in truth—they’d made up their minds. So Jesus begins teaching in a veiled manner. He’s still offering truth, but only to those who are truly listening. For those who’ve already chosen unbelief, the meaning stays hidden.

Put simply, Jesus used parables to reveal deeper truths about the coming kingdom of God, but those truths wouldn’t be understood by everyone. The crowds would hear the stories, but the meaning would stay hidden. It was only His disciples—the ones leaning in, ready to listen—who got the real explanation. It’s not that Jesus stopped teaching. He just started teaching in a way that required a responsive heart. If you were truly seeking, like the disciples. Then Jesus was willing to explain what the parables meant.

So in chapter 4 Jesus shares four parables about the coming Kingdom of God. And once He finishes teaching His disciples about the kingdom, Mark’s Gospel shifts gears. The focus moves from explanation to demonstration—Jesus begins to show His power to actually bring that kingdom to earth.

In other words, He gives His disciples classroom training through the parables—and then He takes them into real-world experience. He shows them, firsthand, that He alone has the power to undo the effects of sin and usher in the kingdom He’s been teaching about. In other words, what Jesus taught with words, He now confirms with power.

Okay, so that’s where we are in Mark. Jesus has just performed four incredible miracles—each one proving beyond a shadow of a doubt that He is the Messiah.

He calms a supernatural storm on the Sea of Galilee that was about to sink their boat. He casts out a legion of demons from a man no one could tame. He heals a woman who had suffered for years with a bleeding condition. And in the grand finale—last week we saw Him raise a young girl from the dead.

This is no ordinary teacher. This is the Lord of all creation who commands the wind and the waves. This is the One who has authority over Satan and his demons. This is the Great Physician, who heals every sickness and cleanses every impurity. And this is the Holy One of Israel who holds the keys of life and death.

This is the Messiah.

So, put yourselves in the disciples shoes. They have just come from a spiritual mountaintop. They have just witnessed the Lord bring a girl back from the dead. I can’t imagine the excitement they must have been feeling. I sure they thought Jesus was getting ready to establish His kingdom at any moment. But that is not what is going to happen. Instead Jesus and His disciples are getting ready to face rejection. In fact, in the first half of Mark 6, rejection is the major theme. You see, the disciples are getting ready to go from the spiritual high of resurrection to the spiritual low of rejection.

As we read at the beginning of the service, the disciples follow Jesus back to His hometown of Nazareth, and I’m sure they were expecting a hero’s welcome. Right, the hometown boy makes good, sort of welcome. After all, these are the people who had grown up with Jesus. I’m sure the disciples were expecting more jaw dropping miracles and huge crowds. But that is not what happens. Instead of celebration, they’re met with rejection. The people who knew Jesus best—at least outwardly—refuse to believe. And this should speak loudly to anyone who’s committed to following the Lord. Because sometimes, even when you’re walking faithfully, rejection comes.

Which brings us to the heart of today’s lesson:

Disciples Must Be Prepared For Rejection

OK, with that being said. Let’s get into our study, but first let’s go to the Lord in prayer.

Beginning now at verse 1 we read,

Mark 6:1 NKJV

1 Then He went out from there and came to His own country, and His disciples followed Him.

This is what I mentioned a moment ago. We know Jesus was by the sea of Galilee teaching, most likely Capernaum, and now His disciples follow Him to “His own country.” Undoubtably this mean Nazareth, the place where Jesus grew up. And notice it says, “His disciples followed Him”. The word followed is a discipleship term, and it paints us a picture. Sometimes the pathway of following Jesus leads to spiritual high points, and sometimes the pathway leads to the valley of rejection. Then verse 2 says,

Mark 6:2 NKJV

2 And when the Sabbath had come, He began to teach in the synagogue. And many hearing Him were astonished, saying, “Where did this Man get these things? And what wisdom is this which is given to Him, that such mighty works are performed by His hands!

This moment in the synagogue seems to start off on a good note. It says “many hearing Him were astonished”. So everyone who hears Him teaching is amazed by His ability. That word—astonished—isn’t just a polite “wow.” It means they were absolutely floored. Like, mind-blown, jaw-on-the-floor kind of amazed. The kind of reaction where you’re so stunned you almost forget where you are. We’d say today, “His teaching blew their minds.” It was that powerful, that unexpected. But this leads them to start asking questions, and these questions are being asked in a negative light. It’s like they are saying, “They wait a minute, where did this guy get all this wisdom, and how is He performing all these miracles with His hands”.

You can almost feel the doubt creeping in. At first, they’re amazed—blown away by Jesus’ teaching. But then the questions start: “Where did He get this wisdom? How are these miracles happening?” And that shift is telling. If they truly believed this was from God, they wouldn’t be asking those kinds of questions. The fact that they’re asking reveals that they’re suspicious of the source.

Do they think the miracles are fake? Do they buy into the religious leaders’ accusation that He’s empowered by Satan? We’re not told exactly. But what we do see in the next couple of verses is clear: they don’t believe He’s come from God.

It’s a sobering moment. The people who should’ve been most receptive—His own hometown—end up rejecting Him. Not because the teaching wasn’t powerful, not because the miracles weren’t real, but because their hearts were closed off to the possibility that God could work through someone so familiar. In their minds Jesus was just an ordinary carpenter who grew up with them. This brings us to another point of today’s lesson:

Familiarity Breeds Contempt

Now I’m sure you have probably heard this saying before, but I’m going to define it to make sure we are all on the same page.

Here is how the internet defines this saying:

The more we get to know someone or something—especially in close, everyday proximity—the more likely we are to lose respect or appreciation for them. Overexposure can dull our sense of wonder and lead us to focus on flaws rather than strengths. And the idea behind this saying is that when something becomes too common or predictable, we stop valuing it.

Let me give you an example. Think about people who live out West maybe in Montana or Wyoming. They are surrounded by some of the most beautiful landscapes that exist. When we visit those places on vacation, we’ve got our phones out, snapping pictures, shooting videos, posting it all on Facebook. We’re amazed. We marvel at the beauty. But do you see the locals walking about doing that? No, not at all. Why? Because those marvelous landscapes have become mundane. To them, its just ordinary. It’s just where they live. And that’s the point: when you’re exposed to something beautiful every day, it’s easy to start taking it for granted. Familiarity dulls the wonder. What once felt extraordinary becomes just... normal.

And this is exactly what happened in Nazareth. The people there couldn’t wrap their minds around the idea that Jesus—the one they’d known since childhood, the carpenter’s son, the boy who helped build their neighbor’s house—could possibly be the promised Messiah. To them, He was familiar. Ordinary. Just part of the landscape of their lives. And because of that familiarity, they missed the majesty. They couldn’t see the divine in what had become ordinary.

Here is the takeaway: when something extraordinary becomes part of your everyday, you stop seeing it for what it truly is. The Son of God stood in their midst, and they saw only the son of Mary. Let’s read on.

Mark 6:3–4 NKJV

3 Is this not the carpenter, the Son of Mary, and brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon? And are not His sisters here with us?” So they were offended at Him. 4 But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own country, among his own relatives, and in his own house.”

Notice the first thing the people in Nazareth say about Jesus. “Is this not the carpenter”? Let’s talk about the word carpenter for a second. Carpenter is the English language means someone who works with wood. In first century Israel this was probably not the case. You see, wood was a scare resource in that region. In fact most homes were made of stone. So a carpenter in that society was simply a builder. Jesus would have worked around Nazareth building extensions to stone homes, tombstones, cisterns, vineyards, and repairing things like millstones. And these are the kinds of things the Lord often referred to in His teaching. He drew His teaching from His everyday life. What is even crazier to think about is that Jesus had probably worked on these peoples homes. Try and wrap your head about that for a second. Jesus building an extension on the home your living in.

What makes this moment even more striking is that the vast majority of common laborers in that culture couldn’t read or write. They had no access to formal education, let alone training in the rabbinic schools. So when they looked at Jesus—a carpenter by trade, with no credentials from the religious establishment—they simply couldn’t get past it. To them, He was just another working-class man, not a scholar. And Nazareth wasn’t the only place to have this reaction. Look at what the religious leaders say about Jesus when He taught in the temple. This is recorded in John chapter 7.

John 7:14–15 NKJV

14 Now about the middle of the feast Jesus went up into the temple and taught. 15 And the Jews marveled, saying, “How does this Man know letters, having never studied?”

The point is the Jewish nation couldn’t figure out how a common laborer could teach like this. In their eyes, this was unimaginable.

Mark 6:3–4 NKJV

3 Is this not the carpenter, the Son of Mary, and brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon? And are not His sisters here with us?” So they were offended at Him. 4 But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own country, among his own relatives, and in his own house.”

And we see this reaction in their questions. “Is this not the carpenter, the Son of Mary, and brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon? And are not His sisters here with us? They just couldn’t get past the familiarity of seeing Jesus as a common laborer they had grown up with.

Now, before we move on, there’s one more detail we can’t overlook. Notice how they refer to Jesus as “the Son of Mary.” This breaks with Jewish custom. In that culture, a man was typically identified by his father’s name—“Son of Joseph,”—even if the father had passed away. So to call Jesus the Son of Mary was unusual, and likely intentional.

This suggests they were aware of the unusual circumstances surrounding Jesus’ birth, but they didn’t believe it was miraculous. Instead, they may have viewed it as scandalous. Simply put, this could be another subtle insult—a way of implying that Jesus was an illegitimate son. It’s not just skepticism; it’s social rejection. They weren’t just questioning His teaching—they were questioning His very identity.

We need to understand that this cloud of illegitimacy followed Jesus throughout His childhood. And we find evidence of that in an unusual place: the book of Psalms. You may not know this, but the Psalms are rich in prophecy—and Psalm 69 is a great example. It gives us some surprising details about Jesus’ early life.

Let’s look at verse 8:

Psalm 69:8 NKJV

8 I have become a stranger to my brothers, And an alien to my mother’s children;

This verse shows us that Jesus was rejected by His own brothers. Why? Most likely because they didn’t share the same father. Notice the wording: “my mother’s children.” It doesn’t say “my father’s children,” and that’s important. It couldn’t—because Jesus didn’t share a father with His brothers, only a mother.

Now let’s skip down to verse 11 and 12.

Psalm 69:11–12 NKJV

11 I also made sackcloth my garment; I became a byword to them. 12 Those who sit in the gate speak against me, And I am the song of the drunkards.

First, let’s talk about this term “byword.” What is a byword? A byword isn’t just a nickname—it’s a label of mockery or disgrace. To become a byword means your name or story is used as a cautionary tale, a punchline, or a symbol of shame.

So when the psalmist says, “I became a byword to them,” it’s not just about being unpopular—it’s about being publicly ridiculed. It’s the kind of reputation where people say, “Well, at least you’re not like so-and-so,” or “Just don’t end up like that guy.” Your name becomes shorthand for failure, scandal, or rejection.

What was the scandal? Jesus didn’t have a earthly father. He was an illegitimate son (from the world’s point of view), and this rumor was spread all over town. Look at verse 12. It says, “those who sit in the gate speak against me”. The gate was more than just an entryway—it was like city hall. It’s where the elders and authorities gathered to conduct business, settle disputes, and make legal decisions. So when the psalmist says they “speak against me” at the gate, it means the scandal was discussed by the very people who shaped public opinion. And then the second half of the verse says: “I am the song of the drunkards.” That’s brutal. It means His name wasn’t just talked about in serious places—it was mocked in the taverns. The drunkards made up songs about Him. He became a punchline, for the lowest corners of society.

So from the city gate to the barstool, Jesus was smeared from the top down. Shocking, isn’t it?

Now remember Jesus grew up in Nazareth, very location of our verses from Mark.

Mark 6:3–4 NKJV

3 Is this not the carpenter, the Son of Mary, and brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon? And are not His sisters here with us?” So they were offended at Him. 4 But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own country, among his own relatives, and in his own house.”

So you see, the people of Nazareth just couldn’t look past all of this. They said, is this not the carpenter? Is this not the guy who has worked on our homes and buildings? Don’t we know all of this brothers and sisters who still live here? Then look what verse 3 says, “So they were offended at Him”. That word offended in the Greek is a strong word.

Lexham Research Lexicon of the Greek New Testament σκανδαλίζω

to be appalled ⇔ trip — to be or become filled with disgust or revulsion for someone (and therefore reject him); conceived of as stumbling and falling.

How tragic is this? The people of Nazareth were offended by Jesus. They were appalled by Him. They were filled with disgust and rejected Him. Why? Because He seemed too ordinary, too familiar. They saw a common laborer—someone they believed was born out of wedlock—and they thought, There’s no way this could be the Messiah. They thought, “we know His family, and we’ve heard all the rumors about how Joseph wasn’t His real Father. There is no way His teaching or these miracles were from God.” And so they rejected Him. The Lord Jesus Christ became a stumbling block for them.

Now let’s look at Jesus’ response to the rejection He faced. Verse 4 says,

Mark 6:4 NKJV

4 But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own country, among his own relatives, and in his own house.”

Jesus responds with what was likely a well-known saying of the day. In fact, this proverb appears in all four Gospels, which suggests it carried cultural weight and was familiar to His audience. It’s a timeless truth—one that still echoes in our own experience. And it’s exactly where we began this lesson:

Familiarity Breeds Contempt

The people of Nazareth couldn’t reconcile the extraordinary with the ordinary. They saw Jesus as the carpenter, the son of Mary, the boy who grew up down the street. They knew His family. They’d heard the rumors. And because they thought they knew Him, they rejected Him. They didn’t even investigate the evidence that was right in front of them.

This is the tragedy of spiritual blindness that can come from being too familiar with someone or something. They stumbled over what was right in front of them—not because it was hidden, but because it was too familiar.

And there is an important lesson we can take away from this. Our flesh has a way of never being satisfied. Think about all the blessings that we take for granted. Think about getting a new car or building a new home. We first move in, and we are so thankful for our new home. We thank God for it everyday. Well, then a few years roll past, and all of the sudden we don’t like the color of the paint, or we wish we had added this or changed that. And this same senecio plays out over the course of our lives. It can be a home, a job, a relationship, anything. Familiarity breeds contempt. Having exposure to something everyday makes things in our life lose it luster.

And here is where I really want us to be careful. This can happen with spiritual things. Especially how we approach the Word of God. Let me give you an example. How many times have we been sitting in church and the pastor says, “Today we’re going to study the Sermon on the Mount,” or another passage we’ve heard countless times. What is our initial reaction? “I’ve studied this passage a thousand times. I’d rather explore something new—something unfamiliar.” That, my friends, is a dangerous and fleshly attitude—one I confess I’ve struggled with myself. It reflects the very principle we’ve been discussing: familiarity breeds contempt. You see, we tend to get closed off to things we are overly familiar with, but we can never be too familiar with the Word of God.

Listen to me here—if you walk away with nothing else today, walk away with this: never treat the Word of God as ordinary. I don’t care how many times you have studied a passage of Scripture, there is always something new to be learned. Over the course of your lives you will grow, and the Holy Spirit will continue to point out truths, details, and insights you never saw before. We need to remember the Word of God is living and active!

You see, we must never treat the Word of God as if it were just another book on the shelf. The Bible is God-breathed. It is literally the breath of God poured out onto the pages of Scripture. These are not mere words on a page; they are divine revelation. This is how God reveals Himself to us.

And here’s the wonder: God will continue revealing Himself through His Word for the entirety of our lives. No one—no scholar, no saint, no seeker—will ever exhaust the depths of this book. Its truths are layered, its wisdom inexhaustible, and its power eternal. Every time we open it, we stand on holy ground. So don’t ever approach it with contempt. Don’t ever assume you’ve “mastered” a passage or that there’s nothing left to learn. And this kind of attitude can creep in—not just with the Bible, but with our teachers, our pastors, our worship, even our church experience.

Here is the point. Let’s stay humble. Let’s stay hungry. Because the moment we treat holy things as common, we stop receiving what God is still trying to give. And this is exactly what happened in Nazareth

Ok, let’s tackle our last two verses and wrap up.

Mark 6:5–6 NKJV

5 Now He could do no mighty work there, except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them. 6 And He marveled because of their unbelief. Then He went about the villages in a circuit, teaching.

Notice what the verse says: “He could do no mighty work there.” Now, that doesn’t mean Jesus lacked the power to perform miracles. But during His earthly ministry, miracles weren’t just random displays of power. They had a purpose. They were meant to validate His message, and confirm the truth of what He was teaching.

So here’s the key: if the people rejected His teaching, the miracles couldn’t accomplish what they were designed to do. You see, the Lord chose to limit the exercise of His power based on the people’s response. If they didn’t have faith—or weren’t even open to believing—He wouldn’t force a miracle on them. He wouldn’t override their unbelief. Sadly, Jesus’ hometown of Nazareth rejected Him, except for a few. Notice it says He laid His hands on a “few sick people and healed them”. So there were a few people who believed in Nazareth, but the overwhelming majority rejected Him. They rejected Him because they thought He was too ordinary to be the promised Messiah.

So here’s the takeaway for us: as disciples of Christ, we will experience seasons that energize our souls. There will be times when the wind is at our back, when ministry feels fruitful, and we witness God doing amazing things through our service. These moments are gifts—encouragements along the journey.

Disciples Must Be Prepared For Rejection

But we must also be prepared for seasons of rejection. There will be times when we face criticism, unbelief, and discouragement. Moments when we wonder if our efforts are making any difference at all. Jesus and His disciples faced this kind of rejection—right in His own hometown. So do not be surprised when we face rejection, even from those closest to us.

And here’s what we need to remember: it is not our responsibility to control people’s reactions. Our calling is to follow the Lord faithfully—whether in seasons of celebration or seasons of rejection. When the world pushes back, we lean in. We draw strength from the Lord, who Himself was rejected, and yet remained faithful to the mission, to the point of death, even the death of the cross.

Let us serve with joy, endure with grace, and trust that God is working—even when we cannot see it.

Let’s pray.