Jesus left there and went to his hometown, accompanied by his disciples. When the Sabbath came, he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were amazed.
“Where did this man get these things?” they asked. “What’s this wisdom that has been given him? What are these remarkable miracles he is performing? Isn’t this the carpenter? Isn’t this Mary’s son and the brother of James, Joseph,[a] Judas and Simon? Aren’t his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him.
Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own town, among his relatives and in his own home.” 5 He could not do any miracles there, except lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them. He was amazed at their lack of faith. Then Jesus went around teaching from village to village.
Mark 6:1-6
Parallel Texts: Matthew 13:54-58; Luke 4:16-31
A number of years ago, a family member asked me about a news story that came out of Washington. It dealt with a particular matter of which I was the project manager, and in this instance, the family member had read a news articles in the Times that cited an unnamed source who ‘explained’ the rationale of the decision involved. The family member asked me what they had been thinking when they decided the matter, and I told them. Nobody in the room believed me, after all the Times said… It makes perfect sense, why would you believe the project manager who was there when the Times, that wasn’t there had a source without a name… who wasn’t there either, that said something else? My family is convinced that either I’m never serious, or that I’m just nuts; they never believed anything I told them, not even when they asked me if the West Wing was like the TV show, and I told them that it is nothing like the TV show… how would I know what my workplace looked like?
Do you really think they work in dark offices that are illuminated by back-lit statues? No, it’s nothing like that!
But then how would “little brother” know anything?
In this text, Jesus runs into this phenomenon in Nazareth. He speaks in the synagogue, the people are amazed just like the people have been all over the rest of Galilee, and then they remember who He is… the carpenter’s kid. How can the carpenter’s kid announce the Kingdom? No, that’s nuts… it can’t be! Remember the time he and those other boys…?
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Verse 3 is controversial in some circles, naming Jesus’ four brothers and mentioning that He also had sisters. It seems pretty clear to me, even though some see it differently; another example of the role played by presuppositions, because if your presupposition was that Mary and Joseph had no other children, then you will find a way to change the meaning of the words to maintain your presupposition.
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It is often difficult to reach our own families and close friends for Christ because the relationship is too close. Yes, this can be an advantage, but just as often it’s a disadvantage, and this is troubling for many, even heartbreaking. Yet we can still maintain influence, even though someone else may bring in the harvest. This frequently is maintained simply by our quiet example of faith, rather than our clever words. We don’t have great detail on this, but we do know that Jesus’ family, or at least many of them, came to faith later in the gospel story, and that should give us hope for our own family members who may be less than responsive to our pleas.
Life Project Blog 
Some will plant the seed. Some will come along and water the seed. However, God provides the Son( Jesus) who does the harvesting!
Yep!
That is so true about family members! We can pretty much just be an example by how we live and how we treat others,but at least we are planting the seeds. The Lord will then do his work. It’s funny that I had a dream last night that a family member was led to the Lord, but when I shared that with others in my dream, they would only scoff at it and tell me it was just my imagination, and all those other gems that people manage to say. Lol. Interesting that you would write about the same type of thing!
Yes it is, but i assure you, there was no plot! 🙂
Hi Don,
Thank you for the encouragement when you say our quiet example of faith may move unbelieving family members.
I am currently the only member of my family following Christ and it can be a lonely road at times. Recently my sister told me that she is seeking to enrol her children in a Christian Science primary school. Once I’d looked up what it was this troubled me because it’s neither Christian nor science. She wants her little ones to be brought up to be respectful and polite and believes this school offers that. She also thinks their religion is Christian but is coming from a position of innocence on the matter.
I don’t know what words of wisdom to speak to her on the matter but just pray that God opens a door of opportunity so I can warn her. I will also put her on our prayer list at church. Maybe I’m too close to her to be seen as credible if I warn her directly.
Naomi
That is a tough place and my prayers are with you… God can do great things in unlikely situations. The only thing is that God is more patient than we are 🙂
What of good read this is. And a number of things prompted a ponder. Then one sentence stood out even more brightly: “He was amazed at their lack of faith.”
It is the humanity which got me. Jesus is amazed. Not bitter, angry, or let’s get ’em kind of humanity. Just amazed. And he heads off undeterred.
Love these details you keep lovingly placing in front of us. Thank you.
He paints a very interesting picture that we tend not to look at very closely 🙂
“Yet we can still maintain influence, even though someone else may bring in the harvest. This frequently is maintained simply by our quiet example of faith, rather than our clever words.” This is very encouraging, and very timely, Don. Thank you.
Excellent, thank you!
John 8:19 Then they asked him, “where is your father? “You do not know me or my Father,” Jesus replied. “If you knew me, you would know my Father also.”
1 John 2:3-6 “We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands. The man who says, “I know Him, ” but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But if anyone obeys his word, God’s love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in him Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did. ”
Just thinking out loud… : )
Some good thoughts 🙂