Pentecost 7 (3)

Mark 6:1-6 (NIV) 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, that he even does miracles! 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, "Only in his hometown, among his relatives and in his own house is a prophet without honor." 5  He could not do any miracles there, except lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them. 6  And he was amazed at their lack of faith. Then Jesus went around teaching from village to village.

Have you ever had a conversation in which you talked about small towns and what famous people used to live there? There is a certain amount of “bragging rights” in that regard. Let’s do a little trivia about this. I will name a town in Wisconsin and you can think about what famous person hails from that town and then I will give you my answer:

Appleton: Houdini

Lodi: Tom Wopat

Beaver Dam: Fred McMurray

Eden: Jimmy Gantner

Schofield: David Krieg

Cambria: Gena Rowlands

Grand Chute: Joe McCarthy

Poplar: Richard Bong

Rozellville: Rich Seubert

Pepin: Laura Ingalls Wilder

I knew an older member of our church in Lowell, Wisconsin who was also from Pepin. She remembers how when she was a little girl how Laura Ingalls Wilder came back to her hometown and how thrilled she was to meet this famous author. Often when someone who has made it big in the world comes back to their roots, those in that town are very happy to see them and they receive praise and adoration. And even if they don’t come back, those in that town speak highly of their famous fellow citizen and are proud to be associated with them.

In stark contrast, we see the reception that Jesus had when he taught in his home town. It wasn’t because he had become notorious for bad things (No one in Plainfield would boast they knew Ed Gein for example), but because many of the people were rejecting God’s plan for leading them to repentance.

We have before us Mark’s account of how the people of Nazareth responded when Jesus preached in his hometown synagogue in Nazareth. Jesus’ preaching in Nazareth is also recorded in Matthew and Luke. There is some discussion as to exactly when this happened because Luke place this account at the beginning of Jesus’ ministry and Matthew and Luke place it after a year of his Galilean ministry. Two explanations have been offered.

Jesus is rejected by his hometown twice.

It is the same event but Luke places it at the beginning of his narrative of Jesus’ Galilean ministry for thematic reasons.

Bible History Commentary: New Testament (Jesus Again Rejected in His Own Home Town)

We have just considered Luke’s account of Jesus’ rejection at Nazareth. Do Matthew 13:53–58 and Mark 6:1–6 report the same incident of rejection? Some answer Yes. But we note that Luke reports Jesus’ sermon or address, while Matthew and Mark do not. Again, Luke tells of the attempt to kill Jesus. In the Matthew and Mark accounts any attempt on Jesus’ life is conspicuously absent. Therefore we hold the view that there were two rejections of Jesus at Nazareth. It is implied that the second one we shall now consider took place somewhat later. How much later it was, we cannot tell. For practical teaching purposes, however, it makes no difference which view one holds.

We are used to having the same pastor preach each Sunday in our congregations but at times we will have a guest preacher. Often a congregation will invite a “Son of the congregation” to preach for special occasions. Jesus (as a traveling Rabbi) would often be invited to teach at the local synagogue. Here he may have even volunteered. On this occasion he teaches in his hometown. The initial reaction is that they are amazed. (See parallel passages on people being amazed by Jesus).

Mark 1:21–22 NIV

21 They went to Capernaum, and when the Sabbath came, Jesus went into the synagogue and began to teach. 22 The people were amazed at his teaching, because he taught them as one who had authority, not as the teachers of the law.

Luke 4:14–15 NIV

14 Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread through the whole countryside. 15 He was teaching in their synagogues, and everyone praised him.

John 7:14–15 NIV

14 Not until halfway through the festival did Jesus go up to the temple courts and begin to teach. 15 The Jews there were amazed and asked, “How did this man get such learning without having been taught?”

The people I listed above became well known because they did amazing things — things beyond the ordinary. It may be sports related, the ability to act well, write well. Certain people stand out because of their looks and others because of what they do. Jesus amazed people with how he taught and the miracles he did. His teachings continue to amaze us today as his living Words speak to our hearts throughout time and just as applicable today as they were 2000 years ago. He had a way of teaching that was memorable and which speaks truth for all time. You will recall some of his more famous sayings:

He who has ears to hear, let him hear.

The last shall be first and the first shall be last.

The kingdom of heaven is like . . .

The Lord’s prayer.

Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

The one place we might expect Jesus to receive a warm welcome is in Nazareth, the town in which He was raised (Matt. 2:19–23). The people of Nazareth (Jesus’ “hometown,” 13:54) are amazed at the wisdom and power of the carpenter’s son. This is due to their familiarity with Jesus and His upbringing. They know His family well, and apparently no one in His clan is all that remarkable. Lacking a formal education, Jesus should not be able to teach with the authority that He conveys. Yet Mary’s son is unafraid to instruct with boldness (vv. 55–56). We would therefore expect the people in Nazareth to experience awe when in the presence of Jesus, whose teaching demonstrates that He is the Holy One of God. But as verse 57 makes clear, their questions arise from contempt and offense. Basically they are saying, “Who does this carpenter think He is? He is no scribe and comes from a family of no special import. How can He possibly act as if He has the right to do what He is doing?”

But not everyone was positive in their response. The gist of it is “Who does this man think he is? How can he be what he seems since we know his roots?”

This dialogue gives some insight into his family and his half siblings. Also tells us that Jesus’ profession followed Joseph’s as carpenter and that Joseph most likely has died by this time for he is not mentioned by Mark.

Note Jesus response? Is he quoting from the Old Testament?

A prophet is not without honor except in his own town, among his relatives and in his own home. Similar to a Greek proverb about its philosophers.

Find an illustration to modernize this.

Frederic Godet (A prominent Swiss theologian from the 19th century) summarizes the situation correctly when he says that no one experiences greater difficulty in recognizing that which is extraordinary in an excellent man than those that have been, for a long time, intimately associated with him.

Van Gogh managed to sell only one painting in his lifetime, yet his paintings now sell for millions of dollars.

Although members of a community may indeed brag about someone who has made it big, at times there are some in that same community (perhaps because of their own insecurity) will be quick to point out the embarrassing things the celebrity had done or how they “changed their diapers” showing their own superiority at that time.

The stubborn refusal of many in Nazareth to Jesus had the following impact on Jesus’ ministry. Mark 6:5 (NIV)

5 He could not do any miracles there, except lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them.

Mark The People of Nazareth Refuse to Believe / 6:1–6 / 91

6:5 He could not do any miracles there, except lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them. That Jesus could not do any miracles in Nazareth does not mean a restriction on his power. Rather, Jesus could have done greater miracles in Nazareth, but he chose not to because of the people’s unbelief. In this Gospel, Mark emphasized the power and presence of God revealed only to those with faith. Jesus’ mighty works were meant to further the kingdom of God, not to try to convince a group of stubborn people who had already thoroughly rejected him. To do miracles would be of no value because the people did not accept his message or believe that he was from God. Therefore, Jesus looked elsewhere, seeking those who would respond to his miracles and message. This shows the limitation of simply being a model of faith for others to observe. Jesus was the perfect model, yet others rejected him. We need to verbally proclaim the gospel and, at times, move on to other people and towns.

MIRACLES LIMITED

As a general principle, power follows faith! On some occasions, Jesus did wondrous work in the face of unbelief (Paul’s conversion, the Gadarene demoniac). Most of the time, however, Jesus works in response or in cooperation with faith. Thus, it was not impossible for Jesus to do miracles in Nazareth; Jesus can do all things. But he wanted the person’s faith to be part of the process: “According to your faith will it be done to you” (Matthew 9:29 NIV).

In the Bible, unbelief is regarded as a mind-set, a stubborn refusal to believe, a moral rebellion, not merely a logical conclusion of evaluating evidence. So the Nazarenes had a moral problem, not an intellectual one. They were hardened in their attitudes. We must ask: Does my lack of faith prevent Jesus from working in my life, my family, and my church?

Apparently even in Nazareth, a few sick people, humbled by their need, did come to Jesus for healing. And Jesus, always compassionate, healed them. These few came in faith and received what they desired. It is sad that so few of those who knew Jesus well would take him at his word and believe. The contrast between the humble carpenter and the supernatural prophet was too great for them to comprehend. So they chose unbelief, a choice that amazed Jesus (6:6).

Jesus is amazed at those who were amazed at him. His amazement is their lack of faith.

Matthew 8:8–12 (NIV)

8 The centurion replied, “Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed. 9 For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” 10 When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those following him, “Truly I tell you, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith. 11 I say to you that many will come from the east and the west, and will take their places at the feast with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. 12 But the subjects of the kingdom will be thrown outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

This incident is just one of many which demonstrates the sharp and different reactions people have had and continue to have to Jesus and his teachings. He is perhaps one of the most controversial people who have ever walked the face of the earth. Several reasons for this:

He was very open in what he had to do and say. We have all been warned to keep quiet about religion and politics because we know that those subjects can illicit polarized results. We have all learned that if we want to keep the peace, there are certain topics we need to avoid and certain things that should not be said. We are more concerned about our own personal image than the fact that “the truth hurts.” Well, Jesus was more concerned about bringing the message people needed to hear than who others thought about him. And so, he publicly did what he came to do with compassion and authority even if it meant some would reject him.

“Discretion is the better part of valor.”

The other reason Jesus was rejected was because of the beliefs of the people he taught. It always amazes me that the same person can have such a sharp reaction to whom they are.

Cite examples of the same person receiving undying devotion or extreme hatred.

The most classic modern example is Adolph Hitler. He is reviled by most of the world today and regarded as one of the most evil men that ever lived. And yet, at one time millions of people pledged their undying allegiance to him.

Certain politicians are regarded by citizens of the United States as great leaders and yet the same person is reviled by the opposition.

The sports hero for one team is disdained by the fans of their opposing teams.

A pastor may be loved by some members of a congregation whereas others can’t wait for him to leave.

This is nothing new. Recall what the Lord God said about his relationship with the children of Israel in the Old Testament.

Deuteronomy 5:8–10 NIV

8 “You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. 9 You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, 10 but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.

History shows us the reaction people had to Jesus. It is well documented. He continues to be regarded in different ways today.

What do you think about Jesus?

Offended by him?

Indifferent?

Devotion?

Love?

There is a name I love to hear I love to sing its worth It sounds like music in my ear The sweetest name on earth

Oh, how I love Jesus Oh, how I love Jesus Oh, how I love Jesus Because He first loved me

It tells me of a Savior's love Who died and set me free It tells me of His precious blood The sinner's perfect plea

Oh, how I love Jesus Oh, how I love Jesus Oh, how I love Jesus Because He first loved me

It tells of One whose loving heart Can feel my deepest woe Who in each sorrow bears a part That none can bear below

We love him above all others and in faith trust that he can do great things in our lives. Amen.