The 260 Journey Mark 6 LIMITING JESUS
Welcome to the 260 Journey. This is our journey through the New Testament and our reading takes us to Mark 6 today. No one would disagree that Jesus had all the potential to heal anyone, anywhere, anytime. Can you imagine having the Person that could heal you, your child, your family or your marriage right there in your town and NOTHING happens? HOW DOES THAT HAPPEN? Limiting Jesus.
We have only 2 times that Jesus is shocked in the Gospels and both have to deal with the issue of faith.
The word “wonder” or “marveled” in the Gospels means to be shocked. It happens to Jesus twice. One is in Matthew, HE WAS SHOCKED AT THE GREAT FAITH OF A ROMAN CENTURION FOR A SERVANT WHO WAS PARALYZED. The centurion said to Jesus, “Just say the word and my servant will be healed.”
Matthew 8:10 Now when Jesus heard this, He marveled and said to those who were following, “Truly I say to you, I have not found such great faith with anyone in Israel. And one other time Jesus is shocked and it’s here in Mark 6. But a different kind of shocked. In a negative way in His hometown.
Mark 6:5-6 (NASB) 5 And He could do no miracle there except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them. 6 And He wondered at their unbelief.
The unbelief was not from a Roman pagan but from the people that saw Jesus as a boy and grew up with Him. The people that knew Him best trusted Him least. The people that were around Him most, missed Who He was and got simply a FEW THINGS WHEN THE POTENTIAL FOR EVERYTHING WAS IN THEIR LITTLE TOWN.
When Jesus was shocked it was either NO FAITH OR GREAT FAITH and this incident was NO FAITH or UNBELIEF. WHAT MAKES THIS STORY CRAZY IS WHAT IT’S ON THE HEELS OF IT.
In chapter 5 He just raised a dead girl, set a demoniac free of some 6000 demons and healed a woman who had a very awful condition for 12 years. Then He goes into Nazareth, His hometown and “COULD DO NO MIRACLE” except for a few sick people getting healed. AND HERE IS WHAT’S INSANE - ALL THESE MIRACLES WERE WITHIN WALKING DISTANCE. They happened around Capernaum and then Jesus walked to Nazareth. They had Jesus but not His miracles.
Wow! Can that happen? You have Jesus but nothing miraculous?
Nazareth was located in the hills of Galilee and had a population of approximately 150 - 200 people. So the presence of Jesus in this town could literally have changed this town.
HOW DOES THAT HAPPEN? YOU HAVE JESUS BUT NOT HIS POWER? HOW DID THEY LIMIT JESUS?
How can I stop Jesus from doing what He does best… that’s changing lives. In this Mark 6 story it is UNBELIEF. What is unbelief? Here is what I do know… UNBELIEF CANNOT BE LITTLE FAITH. The disciples had that, got rebuked, but still had Jesus calm the sea in Mark 4 and work miracles.
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN UNBELIEF & LITTLE FAITH?
It seems that LITTLE FAITH is me seeing my bad and big circumstances bigger than Jesus. I think UNBELIEF is different; it is doubting the One’s Character that can bring the miracle. They are wondering about the Person of Jesus here in Nazareth. When Jesus teaches they challenge WHO HE IS BY THEIR LIMITED KNOWLEDGE.
Mark 6:2-3 (NASB) When the Sabbath came, He began to teach in the synagogue; and the many listeners were astonished, saying, “Where did this man get these things, and what is this wisdom given to Him, and such miracles as these performed by His hands? 3 Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? Are not His sisters here with us?”
LITTLE FAITH or sometimes Jesus called this “why do you DOUBT” and YOU QUESTION WHAT YOU BELIEVE, OR IF YOU BELIEVE IT, OR WHY YOU BELIEVE IT.
That’s okay. God’s still there. Miracles can still happen with doubt present and questions swirling in your mind… but nothing happens when there is unbelief.
UNBELIEF IS THE REFUSAL TO BELIEVE. There is no doubt, there are no questions… you have come to your conclusion. That is what happened in Mark 6 in Nazareth. Jesus is the carpenter’s son, Mary’s boy… nothing more. That is unbelief. You leave no room to be wrong. You have decided I KNOW & WHAT I BELIEVE CAN’T BE WRONG. Well the Nazareth people were not just wrong…THEY WERE LIMITED AND THEREFORE JESUS WAS LIMITED. This was the carpenter’s son and also God’s Son. He made things out of wood and made a universe out of nothing. He came from a virgin’s womb but also came down from heaven as Emmanuel. Nazareth stopped short and said “this is Who He is” and forget it’s true but much much more.
LITTLE FAITH and UNBELIEF
After viewing the art in a renowned art museum, a man said to the guard, “I don’t see any great value in this artwork.” “Sir,” the guard answered, “the paintings are not what’s on trial here. The visitors are.” That’s so true. If you look at a Rembrandt or a Monet, and you say, “I don’t see anything good about that,” it simply shows your ignorance concerning art.
That’s the Nazareth problem. The people said, “We don’t see anything special about Jesus. He’s just the carpenter, and we know his mother, brothers, and sisters,”
Jesus wasn’t on trial in Nazareth. The Nazarites were and failed the test. Let’s also be careful of making the same mistake. We could let a denomination, a church, a book determine a listing view of Jesus. Always remember He is much more that you can every imagine.
“The Christ within who is our hope of glory is not a matter of theological debate or philosophical speculation. He is not a hobby, a part-time project, a good theme for a book, or a last resort when all human effort fails. He is our life, the most real fact about us. He is the power and wisdom of God dwelling within us.” ― Brennan Manning
Spurgeon said… “Jesus Christ, “the same yesterday, today and forever” (Heb. 13:8 ), needs none of your inventions, discoveries, or additions to His truth. A plain Christ is forever the loveliest Christ. Dress Him up, and you have defamed Him... Bring Him out just as He is, the Christ of God, nothing else but Christ...”
LET’S NOT LIMIT JESUS IN OUR CHURCHES, IN OUR HOMES OR IN OUR CITIES JESUS, BE JESUS!
“God will answer all our questions in one way and one way only. Namely, by showing us more of his Son.” - Watchman Nee