Mark 6:1-6 (ESV)
Jesus Rejected at Nazareth
6 He went away from there and came to his hometown, and his disciples followed him. 2 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? 3 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. 4 And Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor, except in his hometown and among his relatives and in his own household.” 5 And he could do no mighty work there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and healed them. 6 And he marveled because of their unbelief.
And he went about among the villages teaching.
For the next two weeks, we will be exploring the multitude of Bible passages which help us understand the meaning of the shocking sermon Jesus gave in his home town of Nazareth. Both Mark and Matthew also mention this event, but they skip over many of the details recorded in Luke 4:14-30. It was because Jesus’ message was so different from what the people were expecting that they asked “where did Jesus get these things?” They are wondering who taught Jesus to have such a different interpretation of the Bible, and they wouldn’t accept him. Because of this lack of faith, they were not able to experience his miraculous power. Whenever we expect God to do what we want, instead of what God wants, we remove ourselves from experiencing the fullness of his power.