1. Offense at Jesus in his hometown

Today’s lecturing passage is Mark 6:1-6, which tells us an episode of villagers in Nazareth. When Jesus preached at his hometown, though the crowd was amazed by his powerful words, they became rather skeptical with him. Listening to Jesus’ impressive teaching they said at first ;- “What’s this wisdom that has been given him, that he even does miracles!” Nonetheless their amazement resulted in suspicious feeling then they murmured ;- Isn’t this the carpenter? Isn’t this Mary’s son. And Mark concluded ;- they took offense at him. (Mark 6:3)

Similar cases arrive to us when we spread the good news. Sometimes listeners refuse to try to understand our words. Because they have no longing of God’s love or the salvation. As long as they don’t have that desire any preaching words remain powerless. Today we reflect on the issue, how to spread the good news under those circumstances.

Jesus was making ministry to Galilean cities by Capharnaum including his own hometown, Nazareth. But it was not a triumphal return home as Mark described it. It seems his family and in habitants there had not appreciated his activities. We can read his family’s reaction ;- When his family heard about this, they went to take charge of him, for they said, “He is out of his mind."(Mark 3:21)

They were not happy that he became a wandering preacher by leaving his job and responsibility for the family. Besides they knew that Jewish authority were not appreciating his thinking at all. And villagers shared the same stance as his family. It might be only by curiosity that they allowed him to teach in the synagogue on a Sabbath day. ;- When the Sabbath came, he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were amazed.(Mark 6:2)

The expression “were amazed” is translated from ”ἐ¦Î¦Å¦Ð¦Ëή¦Ò¦Ò¦Ï¦Í¦Ó¦Ï (exeplēssonto)” in Greek, which does not imply admirable feeling. Their astonishment might be caused rather by Jesus’ social status than by contents themselves.
Because he did not received special education to become a rabbi. The case might be similar to a today’s preacher who gives impressive lectures without doctorate in theology. They might had heard already about Jesus’ brilliant debates with law teachers in Capharnaum. They might know also about his miraculous works. So they wondered how he obtained such power.

Whereas Mark did not report precisely what Jesus said then, Luke gives us the words by referring to Isaiah ;-"The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. (Luke 4:18, see Isaiah 61:1)

Openly Jesus identified himself as the Messiah, anointed man of God. Therefore crowd was exceedingly astonished. It is true that they was aspiring to the arrival of Messiah but they could not believe that Jesus was the very person.
So much so they took offense at him by sayng ;- Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joses, and of Juda, and Simon? and are not his sisters here with us? (Mark 6:3)

A simple carpenter, who had been working amid them, must not be the Messiah, they thought. The expression “the son of Mary” is also significant because normally Jewish people of the time specified a person’s name by adding one’s father’s name , not mother’s one. They put “Mary” perhaps due to his father Joseph’s decease. But it is possible that they they knew somehow Jesus’ ambiguous birth and implied it. In short, they might consider him to be a illegitimate. Because it was too difficult for ordinary humans to acknowledge a birth by the Holy Spirit. Thus they thought it was ridiculous that such a man was the Messiah.

2. No miracles in Nazareth

Jesus said to inhabitants of Nazareth who took offense at him ;- “Only in his hometown, among his relatives and in his own house is a prophet without honor.”

They had knowledge of Jesus’ puzzling birth and childhood. Moreover some of them worked with him, a ordinary carpenter. They judged him in accordance with those earthy criteria and rejected his identity of the God’s son who was born of the Holy Spirit. Mark did not conceal that his mother Mary and brothers were against Jesus’ ministry during his living time. Jesus Christ failed to convince his family !! The fact consoles us in difficulties of preaching our own family members. But afterwards those Jesus family members played important roles in founding the early church, which also encourages us.;- They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.(Acts 1:14)

Mark wrote ;- He could not do any miracles there, except lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them.(Mark 6:5)
The sincerity of his phrase shows point out the significance of the matter. Every time Jesus performed miracles he did in order to help, to encourage or to console those who were desperate under grave pains. For example, a woman in Capharnaum who was suffering from bleeding for twelve years or Jairus who was devastated by his dying children. We see now why he could not do any miracle in Nazareth. It is because villagers expected his marvelous performance only to see who he was. In other words they sought proofs of his identity in extraordinary acts. They were not longing for God’s love and compassion.

We should understand that even Jesus Christ can not do miracles if we don’t aspire his love and compassion. In other words, “dunamis”, or God’s power, does not work on those who don’t aspire to God’s mercy.

In contrast to Mark’s writing Matthew modified the nuance ;- And he did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith.(Matthew 8:58)

He might thought that Jesus, Son of God, could do whatever, under any circumstances so he changed the words into “did not.”

However I think Matthew’s phrase does not teach us the important meaning of the issue. The passage should teach us that miraculous power works only on faithful recipients, or authentic believers.

As a matter of fact we love Jesus because of his very understanding character and gentleness. But if we consider him simply to be an adorable and respectable person we can not reach to the faith through him.

Because what he compels us is to be his disciples, not mere admirers, as he said ;- “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.(Mark 8:34)

So as long as we ignore the appeal to become his followers Jesus remains a stranger with us.

However even the Twelve had not yet arrived to that phase while Jesus was still alive. Thus they rejected him at his arrest.

One of disciples Thomas, who loved passionately Jesus, left the group after Jesus’ death even though he said once “Let us also go, that we may die with him.” (John 11:16) And he stayed alone, apart form others.

Thus he missed the first occasion to see see Jesus after the Resurrection. Besides he remained skeptical when he saw resurrected Jesus. That Thomas arrived to witness to Jesus ;- Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!” (see John 20:26-28)

After all Thomas recognized that Jesus had raised from death and was changed by the acknowledgment. We too, can encounter Jesus authentically only by kneeling before him and confessing “My Lord and my God!” At that moment we see the truth of the kingdom of God.

Jesus said ;- “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; 26and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?"(John 11:25-26)

It is difficult to accept that with logical mind. But we need to accept what our intelligence can not understand as the truth in order that our life will be changed. And by believing in eternal life we will relativize earthy matters and become free from ego-centrical life.

3. the invisible kingdom of God

We chose Isaiah 50:5-6 for today’s invocation verses ;- The Sovereign LORD has opened my ears, and I have not been rebellious; I have not drawn back. I offered my back to those who beat me, my cheeks to those who pulled out my beard; I did not hide my face from mocking and spitting.

Israel was defeated in 889 B.C. by Babylonian forces and Jewish leading persons were deported to Babylonia. But 50 years after the deportation God’s voice came to announce their return back to the homeland . :- peak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her that her hard service has been completed, that her sin has been paid for, (Isaiah 40:1-2)

The liberator was Persia, which took a hegemony in East and conquered Babylonia. The new dominating power made Jewish people free. But during 50 years of captivity they had already established living base there. The majority of them were rather reluctant to go back to ruined mother country. They did not want to quit present living base.

Therefore the prophet had need to appeal them for obedience to God’s will and compelled to set off to Israel. But those who always preferred remaining in Babylon menaced and insulted the prophet and even physically. ;- I offered my back to those who beat me, my cheeks to those who pulled out my beard; I did not hide my face from mocking and spitting.(Isaiah 50:6)

But, regardless of such abuses, the prophet continue listening to God’s words and appealing without renouncing his given mission. Because it was God who orders him to do so. After certain time he achieved convincing a part of them to obey God and to get back to Israel. It was those who restored distracted Israel after 50 years of captivity.
Normally humans seek a safe and comfortable life. They won’t renounce established living conditions even to obey God. Luke reported an interesting parable concerning the issue. Jesus told that ;- “A certain man was preparing a great banquet and invited many guests. At the time of the banquet he sent his servant to tell those who had been invited, ‘Come, for everything is now ready.’ “But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said, ‘I have just bought a field, and I must go and see it. Please excuse me. “Another said, ‘I have just bought five yoke of oxen, and I’m on my way to try them out. Please excuse me.’"Still another said, ‘I just got married, so I can’t come.’(Luke 14:16-20)
The parable shows how stubbornly we cling to secuilar activities. We know that attending Sunday service is the priority for Christians. However we sometimes neglect the Lord’s day because of certain trivial inconveniences. While we remain sticking to secular life we can not see the kingdom of God.
Mark wrote “Jesus could not do any miracles there” because villagers did no authentically long for the salvation by remaining in inflexible mind. If they could make them free from daily thinking Jesus should have done marvelous acts in Nazareth too.

To be free from earthy thinking is to recognize that God made us to live. Then we arrive to live in accordance with his will. More exactly we renounce ego-centrical life and live for neighbors too. For example we share with others a part of what we possess, money, time and the most of all love and compassion. When we begin to do so we will understand the meaning of the verse of Malachi 3:10 ;-Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the LORD Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.

Once we believe in the promise of God his kingdom becomes visible to us. Without such a belief nothing happens to our entity. Today we must learn that only authentic thirst for the salvation, regardless of earthy matters, leads us to the faith and the kingdom of God.