Day 61 : Mark 6:1-13

Read Mark 6:1-13

Helpful Background Information: 

• After driving out demons and the healings of the suffering woman and Jarius’ daughter, Jesus and the disciples return to Nazareth, Jesus’ hometown. The Lord taught at the local synagogue, and the very people who watched him grow up rejected him. They questioned how someone they knew could have such wisdom and power and they were offended by Him. This offense proves to be a stumbling block to the Nazarenes, obstructing them from coming to faith and following Jesus. 

• Jesus, amazed by their unbelief, states that a prophet is honorable everywhere but at home. This statement is a bit of wisdom common in Jesus’s time: the more close the relationship, the harder it often is to proclaim the truth to the other person. Of all people, the Nazarenes should have accepted Jesus, but it wasn't so. The point here is that exposure to Jesus and the gospel is no guarantee of faith. Often, apart from faith, exposure to Jesus and the gospel is a stumbling block. Because of their astonishing unbelief, Jesus is unable to perform many miracles in Nazareth. Not because Jesus is limited in his ability by unbelief, as if their unbelief rendered Jesus unable to do anything - but rather Jesus’ inability stems from his choice to limit himself according to human response. The Lord was not in the business of throwing miracles around to impress and convince the people around him. 

• Sometime after the Nazareth episode, Jesus commissions the Twelve disciples. These disciples were to go out and preach the very same gospel that Jesus proclaimed as far back as Mark 1:14-15. The disciples were to proclaim this message accompanied by the power to drive out demons. Their ability to perform this sort of miracle would display the power and truth of the gospel. The combination of preaching and miracles shows the disciples continuing in the work of Jesus. Their calling, which included traveling with bare necessities, displays that their service to Jesus would be done through dependence upon God; their success in spreading the gospel was not according to their ability but by their equipping from Jesus himself. 

Reflection Questions: 

• Jesus mentions that “a prophet is without honor in his hometown.” Why do you think it can be particularly hard to speak about the gospel to those closest to us (family, friends, etc.)? How can we overcome this challenge and still share the gospel effectively?

• The disciples were called not because of their ability (In fact, the disciples this far into Mark’s Gospel have shown themselves to not fully understand Christ and his mission), but because Jesus called them to spread the gospel. How does this encourage you in the areas in which God has called you? (Service in the church, family, friends, work, etc.) 

• The Nazarenes were familiar with Jesus, and this caused them to not see the truth of who Jesus was. As Christians who do believe in Jesus, familiarity can often hinder our amazement, hunger, and fascination for Jesus, the gospel, God’s Word, church, and so on. What are some ways in which you can counter-act this danger of familiarity so that the things of God remain fresh and rejuvenating?