WHAT WE BELIEVE MAKES ALL THE DIFFERENCE
Mark 6:3-5, 54-56 NKJV
3 Is this not the carpenter, the Son of Mary, and brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon? And are not His sisters here with us?” So they were offended at Him.
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.
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.
This is an action-packed chapter. Jesus goes to His hometown and preaches in the synagogue there. Instead of being thrilled that one of their own is doing amazing things, they are offended. They knew Jesus as the carpenter, not really anyone special. This does give us some insight that Jesus, growing up in Nazareth, was not the standout figure we have made Him out to be. He must have been more of a quiet man who did His work and did not try to lead the people. If He had been amazing from His youth, people would have bought into the idea that He was a miracle worker. Instead, they were offended, and Jesus was limited by their unbelief. Verse five said He could do no mighty work. Other translations read the same way. Because of the unbelief of the people, Jesus was unable to work miracles in His hometown.
But at the end of the chapter, Jesus crosses the lake and goes to the region of Gennesaret. There, the reception is completely different. These people did not grow up with Jesus, but they had heard about Him. They heard about His miracles, not His carpentry, and they were thrilled that He was there. They were not questioning how He did miracles or where He got His teaching from. The only question they had for Jesus was if they could bring the sick into the street and touch the hem of His garment. That was their only question. They were too busy running throughout that whole region and bringing the sick into the streets. They did not ask Jesus to stop and individually minister to anyone. All they asked was that they could touch His clothes as He walked by. And as many as touched Him were healed.
APPLICATION
The contrast of this chapter has always intrigued me. How could one group of people absolutely shut Jesus down so that no miracle took place in their town while the other group of people had amazing miracles taking place out in the streets? The difference was not in Jesus. He was the same in Nazareth as He was in Gennesaret. The difference was in what each group believed.
In His hometown, they believed that Jesus was the carpenter. They knew His family. They knew His background, and it was not as a scholar of the scriptures. They knew the natural Jesus. But across the lake, they knew Jesus as the miracle worker who was the solution to the sickness and pain that troubled them and their loved ones. To the people of Gennesaret, Jesus was the answer to their problems, and they were thrilled to have Him in their town. One group believed Jesus was a local carpenter, and the other believed He was a divine miracle worker. Both groups got what they believed.
The question remains for us today. What do we believe about Jesus? Who is He to you? If you said Savior, that’s the very best place to start. But don’t stop there. He can be your Shepherd, Healer, Strength, Peace, Baptizer in the Holy Spirit, Wisdom, and Righteousness. There is so much that Jesus can be in our lives. Let’s be the excited ones who believe Him for great things and believe great things about Him. He’s a very great Jesus!