“I Wonder” Mark 6:1-29 Teaching at Nazareth 1 Jesus went out from there and came into His hometown ; and His disciples followed Him. 2 When the Sabbath came, He began to teach in the synagogue ; and the many listeners were astonished, saying, "Where did this man get these things, and what is this wisdom given to Him, and such miracles as these performed by His hands ? 3 "Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon ? Are not 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 hometown and among his own relatives and in his own household." 5 And He could do no miracle there except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them. 6 And He wondered at their unbelief. And He was going around the villages teaching. There are not too many times in the Gospels, that Jesus finds Himself wondering about things. There is the incident of the Roman Centurion who understands the principle of a word of authority. He says to Jesus, “Just say the word and my servant will be healed!” And Jesus’ reply is that “I have not found such great faith in all of Israel.” And then there is the Syro-Phonecian woman, who persists in her faith for the deliverance of her daughter. But other than these two, I can’t recall any other examples, except for this amazing expression of unbelief. Is it not interesting that the “religious” people are often the ones with the least amount of genuine faith? The people that Jesus is speaking to were Hebrews, a people with thousands of years of history of God displaying His wonders, provisions, and miracles. No other nation on earth had seen and heard the things Israel had. And yet this gathering of a hometown synagogue, just shake their heads in unbelief. Perhaps it was genetic, for the scripture says in Hebrews these damaging words: Hebrews 3:12 :Take care, brethren, that there not be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart that falls away from the living God.” Hebrews 3:19 “So we see that they were not able to enter because of “unbelief Unbelief is similar to a cancer that creeps into the lives of Christians, and persistently erodes our ability to trust in the One who does all things well. It is sometimes a stronghold that locks us up in a bondage that only the dynamite of the Holy Spirit may eliminate. Avoid it at all costs, and if you find yourself continually wondering and doubting, becoming cynical and bitter, than do your best to run to the arms of Jesus. Do your best to deliberately seek the fellowship of God’s family, and bury yourself in the word of God. Never be fearful to let others know that you are struggling in this area. God will always supply faithful friends who will encourage, comfort and pray. One can chase a thousand, but two can put ten thousand to flight.
Posted on: Mon, 24 Jun 2013 10:32:09 +0000