Matthew 13:53-58 / Mark 6:1-6…
I marvel at you…
Jesus was coming back to Nazareth, where He grew up (Luke 4:16), but where He had been violently rejected (Luke 4:29). The disciples followed along, because true disciples follow their Master (John 8:12, 10:27, 12:26). We don’t walk perfectly, but as we get to know Him we will follow along even when it means risk (Acts 15:25-26).
Jesus went to church and taught the Bible, just as He had done before (Luke 4:17-21). At first they were impressed by His teaching, astonished by His wisdom and power. Soon, however, they were offended, and their unbelief was manifest. Familiarity had bred contempt.
Is not this the carpenter…? The people that have known you, the folks that have seen you grow up, and the community that knows where you came from, it can be hard for these people to accept your advances in the faith. Many times others don’t accept the “new you” because they haven’t known the power of change themselves. But you have to believe that people can change, because if you don’t, you are denying the power of God, and you have no hope for people, and that includes yourself. God can change that stubborn person; He changed you, didn’t He?
And he did not do many mighty works there, because of their unbelief. It was not that that He couldn’t but that He wouldn’t. Sometimes we get so settled in our routines, or so satisfied by other things that the things that ought to be continually cherished become the mere motions of a soul empty of energy. Contempt for the preaching of the gospel, corporate worship and Communion will not go unnoticed by God (2 Chronicles 36:15-16). The progression from apathy to abandonment and antagonism of God’s Word will lead to spiritual starvation (Amos 8:11-14).
While on earth, there were two things that made Jesus marvel. He marveled at the faith of those who we would expect to have unbelief (Matthew 8:5-13 / cf. Matthew 15:21-28), and at the unbelief of those who we would expect to have faith.
Jesus marvels at you, but which way?
3 comments:
In the course of one year we will read
• Every Verse
• Every Passage
• Every Gospel
We welcome your comments. We are not looking to be copying and pasting previous material...we are coming at this with a fresh look, each day, and going with whatever we see. We can send you a copy of the reading schedule (primesoul@hotmail.com). You can check www.voiceofvision.org for each day’s reading, or go to www.voiceofvision.blogspot.com to leave a comment. God bless you as you join in the walk with us...
Hmmmm.......
I imagine that has alot to do with what I marvel at the most.... God of very God or the world and the devil?
Excellent comment, dear, so true...
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