Mark 6:1-6 (NKJV) Jesus Rejected at Nazareth
(Matt. 13:53–58; Luke 4:16–30)
1 Then He went out from there and came to His own country, and His disciples followed Him. 2 And when the Sabbath had come, He began to teach in the synagogue. And many hearing Him were astonished, saying, “Where did this Man get these things? And what wisdom is this which is given to Him, that such mighty works are performed by His hands! 3 Is this not the carpenter, the Son of Mary, and brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon? And are not His sisters here with us?” So they were offended at Him.
4 But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own country, among his own relatives, and in his own house.” 5 Now 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. Then He went about the villages in a circuit, teaching.
V1 “Then He went out from there and came to His own country, and His disciples followed Him.” His own country is the area around Nazareth. A principle is taught here: disciples follow Jesus. See Matthew 10:25 (disciples become like their Master), Matthew 24:45-51 (to be faithful and wise), Luke 12:43 (faithful throughout life), 2 Timothy 2:24 (being gentle in teaching), and Revelation 15:3 (even Moses was a servant of God).
V2 “And when the Sabbath had come, He began to teach in the synagogue. And many hearing Him were astonished, saying, “Where did this Man get these things? And what wisdom is this which is given to Him, that such mighty works are performed by His hands!” The Sabbath begins on Friday evening at sunset. Jesus is a Rabbi, a teacher, and was invited to teach. The people note 2 things about Jesus’s teaching as they were shocked: 1) where did He get this knowledge and 2) how did He acquire so great wisdom to even do miracles? We know the answer—Jesus is God and has the full measure of the Holy Spirit that no one else has (Isaiah 11:2).
V3 “Is this not the carpenter, the Son of Mary, and brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon? And are not His sisters here with us?” So they were offended at Him.” They only knew Jesus as a carpenter, the Son of Mary, the brother of 4, and having sisters. Because Jesus was a plain man (in their observation), He was nothing special. We don’t judge a person by their looks or background. We judge him by what he says and does. Compare Ecclesiastes 4:13-14.
V4 “But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own country, among his own relatives, and in his own house.”
Pulpit commentary notes:
“One reason for this is that it is almost natural for persons to hold of less account than they ought, those with whom they have been brought up and have lived on familiar terms. Prophets are commonly least regarded, and often most envied, in their own country. However unworthy may be the feeling, the inhabitants of a district, or members of a community, do not like to see one of themselves put above them, more especially a junior over a senior, or a man of humble origin over a man well born. But it should be remembered that God abhors the envious, and will withhold the wonders of his grace from those who grudge his gifts to others. The men of Nazareth, when they saw Christ eating, and drinking, and sleeping, and working at his trade, like others, despised him when he claimed respect and reverence as a Prophet, and especially because his relations according to the flesh were of humble condition…”
V5 “Now He could do no mighty work there, except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them.” Because of their bad opinion of Jesus, they did not have faith in Him. Surely, they would have known His healing miracles in Capernaum and elsewhere.
V6 “And He marveled because of their unbelief. Then He went about the villages in a circuit, teaching.” Even though everything about Jesus is so obvious, but most of the people refuse to believe. It is not too often that Jesus is disappointedly shocked. Here, Jesus is shocked because of lack of faith. In Matthew 8:10-12, Jesus is shocked at one’s great faith—a Gentile even who believes. Compare 1 John 5:10, Psalm 106:24, and John 3:36.
We learn:
- A person’s gift from God does not depend on one’s social status.
- Believing in God is pleasing to God.
Questions:
- How is your faith?
- Do you believe in Jesus and His teachings?