I Would, But I Couldn’t.

Introduction

There’s a well-known saying: “No one learns from someone else’s experience.”

That proverb carries a lot of wisdom. It applies to both “positive” and “negative” situations. As we’ve already begun to explore—and will continue in the coming weeks through our study of Experiencing God by Henry Blackaby—it’s not the same to know about God as it is to experience God. Just like the saying goes.

But that same reality also applies to the difficult moments we go through—times that teach us lessons we would never learn otherwise.

I remember that when I entered my teenage years, my dad told me:

“Aaron, if you ever get a girl pregnant, you and she will have to leave this house, because there’s no room for anyone else here.”

A few years later, when I told him that a girl was pregnant and I was the father, he replied:

“Okay, like I told you before, you can’t stay here. Leave.”

And I had to leave.

I started looking for a place to rent and ended up working as a construction helper. Yes, me—the least handy person you could imagine—helping a builder remodel a house. I also began teaching music at a public school, where each child paid me five pesos (about fifty cents) once a week.

And let me tell you—if you trust that a child will faithfully save that coin for music class instead of spending it during recess, you’re as naïve as I was.

I also went to street markets to sell clothes and used items. I’d lay a cloth or plastic sheet on the ground and spread out my “stuff”—or “antiques,” as the old folks in Madison might say—to sell to anyone who wanted to buy.

One day, while I was at one of those markets—what we call tianguis in Mexico—my parents happened to pass by and saw me selling things on the ground. Years later, my mom told me that they both wanted to come over, help me up, tell me to stop selling, and invite me—with my newborn daughter and her mother—to live with them so I wouldn’t suffer. But even though their hearts screamed to do it, they decided to get back in the car and leave, without me noticing they had seen me.

They wanted to help me, but they knew they couldn’t, because the best help was letting me live my own process.

In practice, they did what an influencer my wife showed me years later would say humorously:

“I would… but I couldn’t.”

And that’s exactly what we’ll see in today’s kerygma. We’ll see how Jesus, full of love, power, and truth, wanted to intervene in the lives of people very close to Him—but because of their hardened hearts, it’s as if Christ ended up saying, “I would, but I couldn’t.”

Let’s open the Gospel of Mark and discover how sad, challenging, and confronting today’s message is.

Mark 6:1-16

Jesus left that part of the country and returned with his disciples to Nazareth, his hometown. The next Sabbath he began teaching in the synagogue, and many who heard him were amazed. They asked, “Where did he get all this wisdom and the power to perform such miracles?” Then they scoffed, “He’s just a carpenter, the son of Mary* and the brother of James, Joseph,* Judas, and Simon. And his sisters live right here among us.” They were deeply offended and refused to believe in him.

Then Jesus told them, “A prophet is honored everywhere except in his own hometown and among his relatives and his own family.”  And because of their unbelief, he couldn’t do any miracles among them except to place his hands on a few sick people and heal them. And he was amazed at their unbelief.

Then Jesus went from village to village, teaching the people.

We’ll first review the passage verse by verse, and then see what lessons it teaches us today.

After leaving Jairus’s house, Jesus returned to His hometown—Nazareth. It was a small, insignificant place, not even mentioned in the Old Testament.

Now He was no longer surrounded by large crowds, only by His disciples.

As a faithful Jew, Jesus observed the Sabbath and, as usual, went to the synagogue. There He began teaching, and the people reacted with astonishment—just as they had earlier in Capernaum. Yet Mark doesn’t tell us what Jesus taught; instead, he focuses on the reaction of those who heard Him.

At first, they were amazed at His wisdom and acknowledged the divine power in Him. They had heard of His miracles elsewhere and recognized that God’s power worked through Him. But—and this is crucial—Jesus had not yet performed any miracles among them.

That initial admiration soon turned into rejection.

The same people who were proud to call Him a local suddenly turned hostile. Perhaps, seeing that the miracles they had heard of didn’t happen there, they felt disappointed or offended. Now, Jesus was no longer “the mighty teacher,” but just “the carpenter,” the son of someone everyone knew.

By calling Him “the carpenter,” they were reducing His identity to a mere trade, denying His divine origin. Worse yet, they referred to Him as “the son of Mary,” instead of “the son of Joseph,” implying illegitimacy.

Their unbelief blinded them to His true identity.

Jesus responded with a well-known proverb:

“A prophet is honored everywhere except in his own hometown.”

By saying this, Jesus identified Himself with the ancient prophets—men sent by God, rejected by their own people.

He made it clear that His power came from God, while their rejection placed them among those who denied His divine nature.

Their unbelief became so strong that Mark says Jesus “could not” do any miracles there—except heal a few sick people.

That phrase doesn’t mean Jesus lacked power; it means He chose not to act in a context where hearts were closed.

Their unbelief didn’t weaken His divinity—it simply revealed their resistance.

Mark ends the story not with the people’s reaction, but with Jesus’s:

“He was amazed at their unbelief.”

It’s one of the few times the Gospels say that Jesus was amazed—not with joy, but with pain.

And yet, He didn’t stop. He left Nazareth and continued teaching in nearby villages, faithfully fulfilling the Father’s mission.

Lessons from the Passage

From Jesus’ Perspective

Jesus takes the initiative to seek His people. He doesn’t wait for people to come to Him—He goes to them, even knowing He’ll be rejected.

“The Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost.” (Luke 19:10)

Jesus takes the initiative to gather for worship. He went to the synagogue, honoring the communal worship of God’s people.

“He went to Nazareth, where He had been brought up, and as usual He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day.” (Luke 4:16)

Jesus is always ready to teach. His heart is that of a patient Teacher. Even when people reject Him, He still speaks truth.

“We have never heard anyone speak like this man!” (John 7:46)

Jesus is amazed by unbelief. In Nazareth, He wasn’t amazed by faith—but by the lack of it.

“And He was amazed at their unbelief.” (Mark 6:6)

Jesus remains on mission. The rejection in Nazareth didn’t stop Him. His mission was rooted in obedience, not popularity.

“My food is to do the will of God, who sent Me, and to finish His work.” (John 4:34)

From the People’s Perspective

Lack of faith leads us to despise teaching and crave only miracles. When faith fades, we chase spectacle instead of truth.

“These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.” (Matthew 15:8)

Lack of faith leads us to mock God’s work. Unbelief turns divine power into something laughable.

“The message of the cross is foolish to those who are headed for destruction.” (1 Corinthians 1:18)

Lack of faith makes God’s truth offensive. A hardened heart resists correction and feels insulted by divine authority.

“People loved darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil.” (John 3:19)

Lack of faith limits what God will do—not because He can’t, but because He loves. Sometimes God refrains from acting, not out of weakness, but mercy.

“And He couldn’t do any miracles there, except to place His hands on a few sick people and heal them.” (Mark 6:5)

Lack of faith distances us from Jesus. Unbelief creates a wall between us and Him.

“Come close to God, and God will come close to you.” (James 4:8)

Application: Surrender

Faith is not a magical wish—it’s the certainty of who Christ is and who we are in Him. True faith always involves surrender.

Surrendering to God doesn’t mean doing nothing—it means releasing control. It’s choosing to obey even when obedience requires doing more, not less.

Years ago, I couldn’t see my daughter. I was told, “If they won’t let you see her, stop sending money.” So I did—for three months. But during that time, the Lord reminded me over and over of 1 Timothy 5:8, and I realized I was fighting against Him.

Finally, I broke down and said,

“Lord, I surrender. You win. I’ll do what You say, not what my lawyer says.”

From that moment, I began saving the child support each month—even without contact. A year later, I was able to hand all that money to her mother. And I truly believe that act of surrender opened the way for my daughter’s restoration.

Surrendering to God isn’t giving up—it’s aligning your will to His.

Conclusion

This passage shows that Jesus never stops loving, even when rejected. Unbelief doesn’t stop His mission—but it does limit what He will do in a hardened heart.

Jesus still walks among us, visiting our own “Nazareths”—those places where we say we believe, but still cling to control.

And to each of us, He might be saying:

“I would… but I couldn’t.”

Not because He lacks power, but because He will never force a heart to believe.

The love of Christ respects your freedom—but longs to transform your heart, your family, your story—for His glory. The question is: Will you let Him?

Altar Call

Today, don’t leave the same way you came. Maybe you’ve been fighting with God, trying to stay in control. Jesus calls you to surrender—not to humiliate you, but to set you free.

Surrender isn’t defeat—it’s worship. If there’s an area of your life where you know God has been calling for obedience, but you’ve resisted—this is your moment. Don’t let Jesus pass by your Nazareth.

Come and say:

“Lord, I surrender. You win. I don’t want to keep fighting You.”

And as you pray, remember—Jesus never stops. But He can stop for you, to heal your heart and renew your faith.

Challenge for the Week

This week, identify one area where you need to surrender to God—your character, marriage, finances, fears, or need for control. Write it down. Pray over it. Give it to the Lord.

Each morning, pray this simple prayer:

“Lord, today I choose to surrender. You win. Do Your will in me.”

Let Jesus do what He’s long desired—to heal your heart, transform your life, and use your story for His glory.

May He never look at us and say, “I would, but I couldn’t,” but instead say,

“Go, your faith has made you well. Go in peace.”

Surrender—and remember: You are loved.