Mark 6:1-13 NIV
6 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? What are these remarkable miracles he is
performing? 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, “A prophet
is not without honor except in his own town, among his relatives and in his own
home.” 5 He could not do any miracles
there, except lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them. 6 He
was amazed at their lack of faith.
Then Jesus went around teaching from village to village. 7 Calling
the Twelve to him, he began to send them out two by two and gave them
authority over impure spirits.
8 These were his
instructions: “Take nothing for the journey except a
staff—no bread, no bag, no money in your belts. 9 Wear
sandals but not an extra shirt. 10 Whenever
you enter a house, stay there until you leave that town. 11 And if any
place will not welcome you or listen to you, leave that place and shake the
dust off your feet as a testimony against them.”
12 They went out and preached
that people should repent. 13 They drove out many
demons and anointed many sick people with oil and healed them.
Just Who Is This Jesus?
I have to admit, my first few readings of this Gospel
passage left me disjointed. It was like I was reading two different accounts.
First one of Jesus return home and the second of Jesus sending his disciples
out into the world. I couldn’t seem to gather any connection between the two
accounts, and to be honest, the two accounts didn’t strike me as having much meaning.
But, as I studied more and more through the week, the message came through with
meaning and depth. So, here goes. I hope you are blessed by God as I point to
Jesus.
This was just the start of it all. No, not the first thing
Jesus ever did, but it was a start. This is the beginning of Jesus ministry
from his hometown of Nazareth out to all the world. This was not just a mere
visit home to see family and friends. No, rather this was Jesus first stop on a
much larger evangelism purpose.
This is Jesus’ return home; some say for the second time. Jesus
left Nazareth as an individual and now returns as a rabbi with his followers.
The hometown crowd saw Jesus as just a carpenter. Some say this word carpenter
may have gone a little further. Maybe Jesus was like a tradesman, with skills
in wood and metal, the maker of useful things for the common people. Maybe this
thought goes a little deeper than we really see on the surface with Jesus the Creator,
the Savior, the Reformer of you and I?
Anyway, the hometown crowd probably saw Jesus as just
another sinful person like all of them, and us, are… like themselves. But that
wasn’t the case. Sure, Jesus was one of them, but much much more. So, as Jesus
returns to speak in the synagogue, with words of power, witness and wisdom; the
people wonder… Who does Jesus think he is? And even more, they really don’t
believe what they witness in Jesus words and actions.
As word had spread of Jesus’ healing miracles… think of the
past couple of messages from “Pointing to Jesus.” The people of Jesus hometown
rejected the accounts of Jesus healing. The people didn’t believe in Jesus even
in the face of recent evidence of miracles of healing and his teaching. Faith
was absent here in Jesus’ hometown, regarding just who Jesus really is.
Go back a couple of messages from my blog “Daily Reflections”
and YouTube channel, “Pointing to Jesus,” and you will see how miracles are combined
with faith. Faith freely given to us by God combined with God’s Word through
Jesus, are both present in Jesus’ miracles. Miracles come with faith. Here, in Jesus’
hometown, the people are lacking faith in Jesus.
As Jesus taught in the synagogue of his hometown, He was
giving the hometown people a sign, an epiphany or the revealing of God in
Jesus.
But the hometown people are blinded. You can know the obvious
and still miss the point. The hometown people saw Jesus, but, at the same time,
didn’t see Jesus’ greatness and the deep meaning of His presence with them. The
hometown crowd knew of Jesus outward origins but did not see Jesus inward
truth. The hometown crowd saw the body and acts of Jesus at home, but miss the
Spirit of Jesus. The hometown crowd was able to look at Jesus from what he was on
earth, but not able to see the Spirit of Jesus.
The same thing happens to all of us. So, this passage of
scripture begs you and me to look at Jesus a little deeper.
Don’t think your own impression of Jesus is too familiar.
There is much you, or I, or even the hometown crowd, don’t know about Jesus, or
anyone for that matter. Sometimes familiarity breeds blindness to what is
deeper.
To the hometown crowd, Jesus was a “worker.” Jesus performed
craftsman work that helped in everyday needs. But, going deeper, Jesus’ trade
was moving from the obvious earthly activity, to salvation of ALL people from
sin death and evil. And that’s a huge leap of faith. That’s a huge jump in change.
With knowing Jesus as a tradesman, as a lower servant in
the hometown, it was easy to listen to Jesus in the synagogue and become a “snob.” This “snob” judgment attitude, happens all
the time. It’s hard for people to believe that there is something deeper inside
of someone they think they know so well. So, people tend to become a “snob” and
reject the message.
Look at Paul. Paul was an intelligent person by all means,
yet when his life changed and he became an evangelist for Jesus, Greek
intellects saw Paul as a “babbler.” Come on! Really?
Back to Jesus in his hometown. So, what happens? Looking
down their noses, the hometown crowd takes offense at Jesus message. What a
scandal Jesus must be, he’s just a tradesman after all! This is apostasy! And
the people fall away from Jesus’ message.
Here’s the great thing about Jesus though. In the face of
this rejection, Jesus doesn’t make it personal. What a great lesson for each of
us!
Jesus observes the reaction of the people and moves on to
teach some more. Jesus knows that His work and mission are what is important.
What is not important is the opinions of those who lack faith and don’t
believe. That’s not to say the people who reject Jesus are not important, but
rather their opinions of Jesus are not important. So, Jesus moves forward in
witness and salvation.
What a personal lesson this can be for you and I when we
are laughed at and condemned for our faith in Jesus, for our witness to what
God has done in our lives and for our calling. Point to Jesus and keep on
going.
And now this passage seems to go into part two, or
something. We move on to what seems to be God’s great parade of witnesses that
extends from this time in Jesus’ day to all time. And that parade begins with
the great Go! Get on with it!
We just witness a lack of Faith of God in Jesus to move
forward, as disciples, two by two to, “Faith” displayed to the world. You see,
disciples are always sent out. Just like my childhood dream of Jesus coming to
my door, Jesus asks, “Can Billy come out to play?” Well… Go out to play! You don’t need anything
to go out, just go!
In this going is the connection between, what I originally
thought were two separate stories from Jesus. The first account is the hometown
crowd WITHOUT faith. The second account is Jesus’ disciples going out into the
world WITH faith in Jesus.
Don’t bog down God’s message of salvation with needing “stuff”
first. Just GO! TELL! NOW! After all, Jesus sends you.
Jesus sends out the twelve, in this case, in pairs, so to
speak. Jesus sends the disciples out to speak, teach repentance, cast out evil
and heal the sick.
And while you are out playing, don’t get too comfortable. The
disciple must be able to leave a place and move on the Gospel message of
salvation. There’s that connection between what seemed to be two separate accounts.
Jesus moved on from his hometown, he didn’t get all hurt about rejection.
Likewise, as a disciple, move along. The call, the mission is, for Jesus’
disciples to spread the message of salvation.
This “dusting off of feet,” isn’t about quitting. A
disciple doesn’t quit, if some refuse to believe the Gospel message… well then…
OK… move along. This “Spreading the Gospel” isn’t about your own feelings of
rejection or wanting to quit. Rely on God! It’s not about you!
After all, there are NEW doors to knock on and more places
to play in this Kingdom of God we walk in with Jesus as we play.
So, there you have it. Who is Jesus? Jesus is God. Jesus is
the miracle worker. Jesus is the Creator. And like Ezekiel, we too, can hear
the call to stand up, to wake up. Why? Because Jesus asks us to come out and
play. Jesus is sending his disciples out.
Have mercy on us Lord Jesus. In the midst of weakness and
fear, may the power of Christ dwell in each and all of Jesus disciples as we go
out to play and proclaim and point to what Jesus has done for all people… today…
tomorrow… and forever. --- Amen
May God bless you this week as you go out.
I leave you with this YouTube video music on a passage from Isaiah’s calling
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