March 16, 2023
And he could there do no mighty work, save that he laid his hands upon a few sick folk, and healed them. And he marvelled because of their unbelief. And he went round about the villages, teaching. Mark 6:5-6
On two occasions Jesus Christ visited Nazareth, the city where he once lived, and both times He was rejected (Mark 6; Matthew 13). Although the people were amazed by what they heard and saw, they refused to believe that Jesus was the Messiah.
The people of Nazareth knew Jesus personally, perhaps watched Him grow up, maybe did business with Him or His family. So they were baffled by Jesus Christ’s powerful ministry and wondered where He received His power. How could a carpenter’s son teach with such knowledge? How did this man from Nazareth heal the sick, cause the lame to walk, and give sight to the blind? In their estimation Jesus was simply a carpenter without a formal education or great powers. The problem was that Jesus Christ’s teachings were powerful and His miracles were amazing. This could not be explained. The obvious answer was Jesus’ claim as God’s Son was true but instead of believing Jesus to be the Son of God they determined to continue in disbelief.
The surprising fact is that Jesus Christ was unable to perform many mighty works in their presence. This was not due to His lack of power or willingness to help those in need, but to their disbelief. Since they refused to believe, they received only a few great works. Sadly, their lack of faith limited their blessings.
One can only wonder how many blessings are missed because of disbelief. This is a reminder that faith pleases God and when you place your trust in the Lord He will work in your life.