"A prophet is not without honor except in his native place." (Mark 6:4)
There had been much talk about Jesus’ miraculous signs. Everywhere he went, people strained to get close to him and be healed. The crowds were so large in one place that Jesus had to sit in a boat on the shores of the lake just so he could teach unhindered (Mark 3:9). Yet here he was in his own hometown, and there are no crowds, no streets lined with the infirm, no rush to see him. Instead, Jesus is met with unbelief and doubt. What happened?
Their initially favorable feelings about a local boy making it big gave way to petty jealousy and a condescending attitude. “Not so fast!” they thought. “We remember this guy. He’s just the carpenter’s son. He’s nothing special after all.” They all thought they knew Jesus, and their human way of reasoning left no room for the possibility of the miraculous—or for the possibility that they didn’t really know Jesus at all.
We face the same choice today as the people of Nazareth. Will we allow our own limited, human reasoning to dominate our thoughts and keep us from recognizing Jesus? Or will we exercise our faith?
It's not always easy to step out in faith and believe that God will be there to catch you. And, frankly, it’s not always advisable to ignore the warnings that come through what seems like common sense. But there is a difference between “not always” and “never.” There is a difference between being cautious and shutting Jesus out, a difference between exercising hopeful discernment and living in a state of constant doubt. Most of the time, the difference is just a matter of letting down our defenses and giving the Lord a chance to prove himself. Try it today, and see what happens.
“Lord Jesus, right now I lay aside my doubts and hesitancies. I ask you to come into my heart and speak to me. Give me a renewed faith in you and your power to work in my life.”
There had been much talk about Jesus’ miraculous signs. Everywhere he went, people strained to get close to him and be healed. The crowds were so large in one place that Jesus had to sit in a boat on the shores of the lake just so he could teach unhindered (Mark 3:9). Yet here he was in his own hometown, and there are no crowds, no streets lined with the infirm, no rush to see him. Instead, Jesus is met with unbelief and doubt. What happened?
Their initially favorable feelings about a local boy making it big gave way to petty jealousy and a condescending attitude. “Not so fast!” they thought. “We remember this guy. He’s just the carpenter’s son. He’s nothing special after all.” They all thought they knew Jesus, and their human way of reasoning left no room for the possibility of the miraculous—or for the possibility that they didn’t really know Jesus at all.
We face the same choice today as the people of Nazareth. Will we allow our own limited, human reasoning to dominate our thoughts and keep us from recognizing Jesus? Or will we exercise our faith?
It's not always easy to step out in faith and believe that God will be there to catch you. And, frankly, it’s not always advisable to ignore the warnings that come through what seems like common sense. But there is a difference between “not always” and “never.” There is a difference between being cautious and shutting Jesus out, a difference between exercising hopeful discernment and living in a state of constant doubt. Most of the time, the difference is just a matter of letting down our defenses and giving the Lord a chance to prove himself. Try it today, and see what happens.
“Lord Jesus, right now I lay aside my doubts and hesitancies. I ask you to come into my heart and speak to me. Give me a renewed faith in you and your power to work in my life.”
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