Back to Mark, and to Nazareth

What now, Lord?

(Mark 6:1-6, Preaching: Pastor Stephen Magee, December 30, 2018)

[1] 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.

Special Messengers of the Best Form of Happiness

Back on June 3, 2018, we began a series in Mark's gospel. We took a break over the last four weeks to enjoy Luke 1 and 2 together. This morning we continue our celebration of the coming of the Messiah and we also return to Mark's gospel, but as we do, let's remind ourselves of where that great message began in Mark 1:1, “The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.” How would we find out and who would believe?

Mark quoted Isaiah and Malachi to make the point from the Hebrew prophets. He then spoke of John the Baptist who surely saw the great worth of the coming of the Lamb of God. The Father and the Spirit also testified to the glory of Jesus. Unseen realms of angels and devils knew about it and became secondary players in the events happening in Israel. But especially, Jesus knew who He was and why He had come. He clearly had immediate revelation from the Father. He knew that it was time for action, and He knew where to go and what to do.

His hometown

Which brings us to Jesus' mission in Mark 6 to His own hometown of Nazareth. What do we know about Nazareth from the Bible? First, it was the place that Jesus came from. Even though He (in His divine nature) existed eternally in heaven with the Father and the Spirit, and even though He was born in Bethlehem in fulfillment of Micah 5:2, and even though in his earliest years His parents were facing murderous dangers and went into Egypt and then later out of Egypt, Jesus spent His growing up years in Nazareth. When crowds spoke of Him they often referred to Him as Jesus of Nazareth.

What else do we know? We know that there was a synagogue in this town, and that it was the Lord's custom to attend the services there on Saturday, the Old Testament Sabbath day. We also know that the region of Galilee and the town of Nazareth were not held in high regard by the religious authorities. Even one of the men who would be part of the twelve disciples, when he heard that Jesus came from this lowly place made this comment, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” (John 1:42)

One more fact from Mark 6:1, when Jesus came to Nazareth on this occasion He was not alone. “His disciples followed Him.” We might have expected that this would be a great time for God to bring about the transformation of this suffering village. Apparently not. The locals were not entirely pleased.

Questions

The synagogue goers in first century Nazareth had some obvious questions. Where? They heard His message [based on a passage in Isaiah 61:1-2?] regarding the ministry of the expected Messiah. They said, “Where did this man get these things?” What? “What is the wisdom given to him?” How? “How are such mighty works done by his hands?” Who? “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 finally, implicitly they are asking one more important question. When? We knew you. You were nobody not that long ago. When did you become somebody? “They took offense.” A prophet at home.

We have a question for the questioners. Does Jesus offend you? Why? We have to be careful or we will just end up with two groups of offended people, one for Jesus, and another one against Him. Our better line of inquiry is this: “What is God doing here?” This is not the natural question we ask, which might be something more like this: “Why did God not give His Son Nazareth that day. The very center of Jesus' own friends and neighbors becomes not a locus of faith but of unbelief. Why?

Jesus the answer

Jesus is the answer for Nazareth and for the world. He is the prophet of Deuteronomy 18:15, where Moses wrote, “The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brothers—it is to him you shall listen.”

But they did not listen. At that point, if we were writing the script, we might have had Jesus do a series of big miracles right there like God did with Moses in Exodus 4:27-31. Convert them all with a spectacle. He does not. Instead we have the absence of the divine gift of faith—unbelief. Jesus marveled at that. He healed a few and kept on going.

What now, Lord?

Why would God not have awakened the town of Nazareth when one of their own was doing the signs of Messiah in neighboring villages like Capernaum? In the 19^th century, Scottish missionary John Paton first lived on the New Hebrides Pacific island of Tanna, where others before him had been eaten by cannibals. He had very little fruit there. He spent four years alone on Tanna after his wife and son died of fever. He then returned after four years of mobilization to a smaller neighboring island of Aniwa with his second wife and ministered there until her death 41 years later. Almost the entire island was converted. How did Aniwa compare with Nazareth? No experience with Jesus as a child. No real personal contacts with Jesus. No synagogue preaching God's Word every Sabbath. No ministry of John the Baptist preparing the way. A cannibalistic culture. What do they get? Gospel revolution. Why? Don't know. I am learning to be careful of having answers where God is silent. Would we be offended by those who take offense, and marvel at faith? Instead, let's marvel at unbelief (re providence), and keep on going.

A new year has come upon us. How will we face the trials and opportunities ahead? What will the Lord do with our efforts and achievements this year? Will we be noticed and appreciated in a world that was ready to treat even Jesus dishonorably? Marvel at unbelief and keep on going with the ministry that God has given us. Live. Teach. (6:6)

Old Testament Reading—Psalm 90 – Establish the work of our hands

New Testament Reading—James 1:1-4 – Meeting trials