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Mark 6:1-3
We learn in Mark 6:1 that Jesus, after healing/resurrecting the little girl (Mark 5:35-43), returned to His “own country” (NKJV) which we would relate to returning to His hometown, which was Nazareth (Mark 1:9). In Mark 6:2 we learn that on the Sabbath, Jesus began teaching in the synagogue and the people were astonished with His wisdom and marveled at His healings. They then began to question by what means Jesus came to learn these things as He declared no rabi as His mentor which was custom norm. As doubt began to set in on the congregation, they stated what they had known about Jesus from His life growing up in Nazareth: (1) Is He not the son of a carpenter? This would be in reference to being a common person. (2) Is He not the Son of Mary? Referring to someone as the son of their mother would most likely indicate disrespect as the father’s name should have been recognized instead of the mother’s. In the case of being the Son of the virgin Mary; she was not recognized as the mother of the Christ-child as we know her to be today. (3) Do we not know His brothers and sisters? This would reference Jesus to be no more than a common person of the community as were His brothers and sisters. They had reduced Jesus to a common person of the community with no reason to believe that He had acquired His wisdom from any reputable source/rabi. In doing so, they became offended at Him (Mark 6:3).
This is an example of what can happen to our belief in Jesus when doubt is allowed to enter our hearts.
The wisdom of this world is prone to doubt, but the wisdom of God is unfamiliar to this world. The Apostle Paul teaches us in 1 Corinthians 1:21-25 (NKJV), “For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.”
God works in mysterious ways, and this is one of them. We would think that Jesus would be overwhelmingly welcomed in His hometown and supported by those who knew Him as a child. But the reasoning/wisdom that we have in this world guides us to a critical critique of everything that has an appearance to be good or blessed. It is the sinful nature at work in us all to find more fault in the lives of others than that of which we hide within ourselves. It is a self-righteous view that is of this world and not that of God in the righteousness He offers us in His One and only Son Jesus. Just as the townspeople of Nazareth discounted the miraculous works and astonishing wisdom of Jesus, we too discount His work in our lives…all due to the doubt that the devil bombards us with in this world. It is amazing how God teaches us through His Word/the Bible as did we not just learn the words of Jesus in Mark 5:36, “Do not be afraid; only believe.”
Dear LORD,
We are amazed at the lack of faith shown by the people of Nazareth as Jesus taught them and His miraculous works have been known to them. Jesus, in the flesh, was there with them physically, and they heard His astonishing words, and yet they refused to believe in Him. Please help us to learn from this so that we may not fall to the same doubt and critical critique as did those of Nazareth. Please help our unbelief turn to belief in our Savior, the Savior of the world (John 3:16-17). In Jesus name I pray, amen.