Mark 6:1-6

Gospel according to Mark 6:1-6

Jesus came to his hometown, and his disciples followed him. On the sabbath he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astounded. They said, “Where did this man get all this? What is this wisdom that has been given to him? What deeds of power are being done by his hands! Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon, and are not his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him. Then Jesus said to them, “Prophets are not without honor, except in their hometown, and among their own kin, and in their own house.” And he could do no deed of power there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and cured them. And he was amazed at their unbelief.

Reflections

A few related key-points:

• Refusal to believe / unbelief - Choice, different from ignorance - Different from doubt

• Teaching - People were amazed - opposition - unwillingness to change their ways

• Jesus did not impose belief in Him

• Envy / Greed for God’s power and wisdom - Questioning - “Where did he get all this wisdom and the power to perform such miracles?”

• Peter walking on water

• Thomas doubting the Resurrection unless he touches the wounds of Jesus

• No false accusations this time - Another time Jesus was accused of being empowered by Satan.

• Jesus’ background - Focusing on the unimportant, belittling Jesus, diverting from the Truth

• The people were offended by Jesus

• “Prophets are not without honor, except in their hometown, and among their own kin, and in their own house.” - People were not able to see past Jesus’ humanity.

• Jesus chose not to perform many miracles there - the peoples’ disbelief in His message would not be changed. - Miracles lead us toward faith.

• Amazement - Jesus did all He could to demonstrate His Holiness, but people still refused to believe.

This passage describes the second time that Jesus returned to his hometown of Nazareth, where he went to teach in the synagogue. The first time he left, he was not yet born. The first time he returned was in his childhood, after returning from Egypt. The second time he returned was after his ministry began.

The reaction from the crowd was initially one of questioning and bewilderment. They asked: “Where did this man get all this?” As Jesus faced the crowd, they wondered what happened to him and how he became so powerful in wisdom and in works. Jesus left his hometown as a carpenter, and now he has returned as a teacher with a group of apostles. This leaves the people wondering: “What happened to him?”

The people then commented: “Is not this the carpenter?” They pointed out that Jesus has had no formal theological education and has never extensively studied under a rabbi. The people attempted to discredit Jesus by making reference to his background, as if that invalidated his message. The people failed to recognize that carpentry is a profession dealing with construction and creation, and do not recognize Jesus as the Son of God, who is the Ultimate Creator. Jesus has learned from a young age that it takes a lot of hard work to create something usable, and He is always willing to build up our lives and finish the job well.

The people began to show envy and hatred toward Jesus, making an issue with his wisdom and the deeds he performed. They doubted Jesus claiming that he is nothing special, even going as far as implying that he is not up to their standards. The people in the synagogue have likely known Jesus since he was born. They had a history with Jesus, and because of their refusal to look beyond their preconceptions, they were unable to recognize Jesus for the prophet who He was. They knew so little about him that they falsely believed to know everything about him.

It is likely that Jesus’ rejection in his own hometown hurt Him badly. While Jesus accepted this as the price of becoming a prophet, He “was amazed at their unbelief.” A stark difference is portrayed between simple ignorance and the outright refusal to believe. While ignorance is a natural state of mind and doubt is a normal experience for believers to have, the choice to rebel against belief must be made out of the hardness of one’s heart. Jesus was amazed that, despite His best efforts to demonstrate His Divine Authority, he was still belittled and mocked by his own people. It is sometimes surprising how, despite the free will that God has given us, we still choose to distance ourselves from His Divine Grace.

It would not be correct to state that Jesus was unable, or not powerful enough, to perform miracles without belief in Him. Rather, Jesus recognized that no matter what evidence would be presented to the crowd, they would continue to reject Him and take offense toward Him. Despite the circumstances, Jesus was ready to respond to anyone willing to accept Him, and he chose to heal a few sick people.

Jesus did not go to impose His commandments on the people gathered there, but to demonstrate his Holiness through miracles. It is important to recognize when Jesus is knocking on the door of our hearts in our own lives, and to be able to answer warmly. We are beckoned to reflect on what gets in the way of our recognition of the Divine Truth, and to appreciate it for what it really is. We must strive not to be like the people gathered in Jesus’ hometown, who wickedly belittled His message of love and compassion, but to allow our often-fallible perceptions to change and to choose to live by God’s Will every moment of our day.