“He went away from there and came to his hometown, and his disciples followed him. And on the Sabbath he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astonished, saying, “Where did this man get these things? What is the wisdom given to him? How are such mighty works 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. And Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor, except in his hometown and among his relatives and in his own household.” And he could do no mighty work there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and healed them. And he marveled because of their unbelief.
And he went about among the villages teaching.
And he called the twelve and began to send them out two by two, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits. He charged them to take nothing for their journey except a staff—no bread, no bag, no money in their belts—but to wear sandals and not put on two tunics. And he said to them, “Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you depart from there. And if any place will not receive you and they will not listen to you, when you leave, shake off the dust that is on your feet as a testimony against them.” So they went out and proclaimed that people should repent. And they cast out many demons and anointed with oil many who were sick and healed them.”
Do you know Jesus?
One of the surprising themes in the Gospel of Mark is that the people who seem most likely to recognize Jesus often struggle to see Him clearly.
That happens in this passage when Jesus returns to His hometown.
The people are amazed by His teaching. They cannot deny His wisdom or the reports of His mighty works. Yet instead of believing, they become offended.
They know His family. They remember Him growing up. In their minds, He is too familiar to be who He claims to be.
As a result, they reject Him.
There is a warning here for us.
Sometimes people imagine that if they could have seen Jesus in person, faith would have come easily. Yet many people who actually saw Him with their own eyes still refused to believe.
The problem was not a lack of evidence. The problem was unbelief.
They thought they already knew who Jesus was, and that assumption kept them from seeing who He truly was.
The same danger exists today. It is possible to know facts about Jesus, to have heard His name for years, and yet never truly trust Him. The old adage “Seeing is believing” isn’t actually true, at least not when it comes to Jesus. What Mark 6 and other passages teach us is…
“Believing is seeing.”
Familiarity is not the same as faith.
Yet the rejection Jesus experiences does not stop His mission.
Immediately after this, He sends out the Twelve.
They are not sent with impressive resources or elaborate plans. They go with His authority and His message. They preach repentance, cast out demons, and heal the sick.
This reveals something important about Jesus’ ministry.
He does not simply gather people to Himself; He sends them out with His Word.
The Kingdom of God grows as the message of Christ is proclaimed. Just as Jesus came preaching, now His disciples are sent to preach. This is the rhythm of the life of a Christian. We are gathered around God’s Word and then sent to proclaim that Word, day after day, week after week. The work is still His, but He chooses to carry it out through those He calls.
That pattern continues in the Church today.
Christ still sends His Word into the world. Through preaching, teaching, Baptism, and the Lord’s Supper, He continues gathering people into His kingdom.
And just as in Mark 6, some will reject that message while others will receive it.
Our task is not to control the results. It is to remain faithful to the One who sends us and faithfully share the message He’s given us..
This passage shows us both the tragedy of unbelief and the persistence of Jesus’ mission.
People may reject Him, misunderstand Him, or ignore Him.
And He is still calling people to faith…and that includes you.
Let’s pray…
Lord Jesus,
Keep me from taking You for granted. Help me to see You clearly through Your Word and trust in You with my whole heart. Bless the faithful proclamation of Your Gospel throughout the world. Put it in the mouths of pastors and on the lips of the congregation, including me, as they go into the world. And please use that proclamation to bring many people to faith in You.
Amen.
As part of your devotion time, I encourage you to also pray for at least some of the following:
After praying for these people, you may want to finish your devotion time with the Lord’s Prayer…
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. They will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom and the power, and the glory, forever and every. Amen.
In Christ’s Service,
Pastor Kurt
