Cheering for the Home Team
Mark 6
Jesus teaches us a hard lesson here. When he heads back to his hometown, where he grew up, he gives a good sermon. The people are immediately surprised. They say, "when did Jesus get so good at preaching?" They say he is wise and full of ability, but then some others start cutting Jesus down. Others say "He's just a carpenter." These hometown folks knew about Jesus. They could name his brothers and sisters. They knew who his mother was and who his father used to be before he died. Then scripture says this, "they tripped over what little they knew about him..."
Jesus heals a few people there, but he doesn't enliven the crowd like he did in other towns. Jesus says its because a prophet is not accepted in his hometown, but it seems like something else is happening too. Its so weird to read scripture that says "Jesus wasn't able to do much of anything there." It seems that part of what Jesus does is dependent on the people. This hometown crowd had expectations of what Jesus could and couldn't do and, at least to some degree, their expectations are fulfilled.
I don't know quite what to do with this scripture. I guess that Jesus requires something from us for miracles to happen. It seems strange when thinking about a God with so much power, but in the end we have power too. It may not be much comparatively, but it certainly has influence. Its like being the hometown crowd at a big football game. Cheer your team and they are likely to win. Boo them and you'll get what you expect out of them. So use the influence you have today for good. Cheer on the home team and make the most of the opportunity before you!
Jesus teaches us a hard lesson here. When he heads back to his hometown, where he grew up, he gives a good sermon. The people are immediately surprised. They say, "when did Jesus get so good at preaching?" They say he is wise and full of ability, but then some others start cutting Jesus down. Others say "He's just a carpenter." These hometown folks knew about Jesus. They could name his brothers and sisters. They knew who his mother was and who his father used to be before he died. Then scripture says this, "they tripped over what little they knew about him..."
Jesus heals a few people there, but he doesn't enliven the crowd like he did in other towns. Jesus says its because a prophet is not accepted in his hometown, but it seems like something else is happening too. Its so weird to read scripture that says "Jesus wasn't able to do much of anything there." It seems that part of what Jesus does is dependent on the people. This hometown crowd had expectations of what Jesus could and couldn't do and, at least to some degree, their expectations are fulfilled.
