HONOR MATTERS - TWO RESPONSES TO JESUS
Mark 6:4-6; 54-56 NKJV
4 But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own country, among his own relatives, and in his own house.” 5 Now He could do no mighty work there, except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them. 6 And He marveled because of their unbelief. Then He went about the villages in a circuit, teaching.
54 And when they came out of the boat, immediately the people recognized Him, 55 ran through that whole surrounding region, and began to carry about on beds those who were sick to wherever they heard He was. 56 Wherever He entered, into villages, cities, or the country, they laid the sick in the marketplaces, and begged Him that they might just touch the hem of His garment. And as many as touched Him were made well.
The contrast seen here in this sixth chapter of Mark is startling. Verses 4-6 are Jesus speaking to the response He received from His hometown. Verses 54-56 are an account of what happened when Jesus landed across the lake in Gennesaret. Jesus is the same, but the results could not have been more different.
Jesus was not treated with honor in His hometown. They had questions, they had concerns, and they were offended. Their basic response was 'Who does He think He is'. They knew Him as the carpenter. They had grown up with Him. They knew His family. They did not know how miracles were being performed by Him. And so, they were a bit ticked off. Jesus stated plainly that a prophet was not honored in his hometown and with his own people. And verse six is quite telling. The scriptures say that Jesus could not do any mighty works there. No miracles or raising people off of deathbeds. No leper cleansing or blind seeing. This verse does not say He would not. It says He could not. Was it because He was angry at the lack of reception? No. No, He was limited because of their lack of faith. Their unbelief put the brakes on Jesus, and He was not able to do much except heal a few sickly ones. Their lack of honor impacted their faith in a negative way.
Now, contrast the lack of response in His hometown with the reception Jesus received across the lake. As soon as He got out of the boat, they recognized Him. And they began to carry the sick out into the streets. Then they begged Jesus that He would just let the people touch His clothes as He passed by. That may not sound like much of a request, but there is such honor in what it says. They were not demanding that Jesus go out of His way to stop and minister to the sick. They just requested that the people would be allowed to touch. And as many as touched Him were healed.
Instead of questioning Jesus, the people across the lake from His hometown honored Jesus. These people saw Jesus as a great prophet, healer, and miracle worker. They treated Him with such respect. And we can see it in their faith-filled actions. Laying the sick out in the street for Him to walk by is strong. And the miracles that took place in that area were amazing. Honor matters.
APPLICATION
Honor still matters today. How we treat Jesus, His Word, and His Holy Spirit can open the door to greater involvement on His part. Or it can limit His involvement in our lives. So, there are questions we must ask ourselves. Am I honoring the Lord with my responses to Him? Do I honor His Word and His Spirit in my life? We can always improve, so don't get discouraged if you have fallen short. Get back up and go again. Honor matters.
PRAYER
Lord, show me how I can honor You more in my life. I want you to be pleased with my faith in You.