Numbers 15-16 Mark 6:1-29

“Jesus said to them, ‘A prophet is honored everywhere except in his hometown and with his own people and in his own home.’ So Jesus was not able to work any miracles there except to heal a few sick people by putting his hands on them. He was amazed at how many people had no faith.” (Mark 6:4-6)

Thomas Wolfe said it plainly. “You can’t go home again.” Jesus knew that but returned home anyway.  The reaction of friends, neighbors, and others He grew up with proved that statement true. I’m sure He heard every comment people made. “I used to watch Him and change His diaper.” “My kids played with Him growing up, what makes Him so special?” “Training? He trained as a carpenter, not a rabbi.” The lack of faith, the lack of belief affected Jesus’s ability to work. Most miracles were out of the question because of their lack of faith. He healed a few people but couldn’t do much and He marveled at their lack of faith. According to other stories, some Roman Centurions had more faith than those that knew Him growing up did.

This passage is a little disturbing because the message seems to include the idea that Jesus was limited by people’s lack of faith. Did that mean that Jesus found it impossible to perform miracles because of their lack of faith, or did it mean that because of their lack of faith, they didn’t give Jesus any chances to perform miracles. Did Jesus’s homies reject Him so strongly that they wouldn’t even give Him a chance? How mush is that like us? We believe in Jesus even, but we just don’t think He’ll heal people today. We love Jesus, but when trouble starts where do we turn? Maybe it’s time to take a fresh look at Jesus. Maybe it’s time to lose our familiarity and look at Him with fresh eyes.

Lord, take me back to when I first believed. Remind me of the joy, the awe the wonder I felt as You began working in me.

Scripture taken from the New Century Version®. Copyright © 2005 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.