Mark 6:1-6 1And he went away from there and came to his hometown, and his disciples followed him. 2And when the Sabbath came, he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were amazed, saying, “Where did this man get these things, and what is the wisdom given to him, and how are such miracles done by his hands? 3Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him. 4And Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor, except in his hometown and among his relatives and in his household.” 5And he could not do any miracles there, except lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them. 6And he was amazed because of their unbelief. And he went about among the villages teaching.
Jesus returned to his hometown of Nazareth where people should have known him. Nazareth was not large at that time, and people likely knew each other to some extent. He was now in familiar territory where people may have known him or at least his family. By bringing his disciples along with him, he provided them an opportunity to learn more about his identity. Bringing friends home often helps them see the other side of our life. He spoke in the synagogue where he probably worshiped growing up.
The people’s questions in verses 2-3 all focus on identity. The first question deals with source of his teaching. He grew up in their “Sabbath school,” so they would have known what they taught. Jesus far surpassed whatever they taught in the synagogue because his teaching had authority (1:22). The second question focuses on the contents of what he taught. Wisdom in the Jewish context focuses on knowing the ways of God. Jesus had profound insights in theology and was able to apply these in simple ways to the average person who had the eyes and ears of faith; even children could understand him. The third question shows the astonishment at the miracles he did. He was just a man from their village in their eyes.
This idea is reinforced by the last questions that state the cause of doubt in their mind. The villagers knew the family. Verse 3 is one of the few insights we get of his family. That Joseph is not mentioned suggested that he has died by this time, although John 4:42 could be interpreted that he was still alive. Joseph would have been at least 50 years old by this time and possibly older. The age expectancy during that time was not long, perhaps 35 years old. It was not typical for a Jew to be known as the son of a woman. Usually the father’s name was used. The implication of this verse is that Mary and Joseph went on to have their own children, including the four boys mentioned by name and the unnamed sisters in this verse. According to John 7:5, Jesus’ brothers did not believe in him during his ministry. James and Jude who wrote two books in our New Testament came to believe in him. Some of Jesus’ family later accepted him and put their faith in him (Acts 1:14; 12:2, 17; 15:13; 21:18; Galatians 1:19; 2:11-12).
The short statement about the people’s response to Jesus’ teaching at the end of verse 3 prepares for his response in verse 4. Jesus quotes a common proverb of the time, similar to the thought of Ezekiel 2:1-7. Prophets are not welcomed in their hometown where people know them. The people could not see past their presuppositions about Jesus. They saw him only as a carpenter and not as the Messiah Son of God. It is difficult to return home after being away for a while. People at home expect the same person they knew before but the person has changed.
Jesus now came with the powerful and transformative message of the Kingdom of God, but the people of Nazareth could not expand their thinking. Their lack of faith kept them from experiencing the miracles Jesus could have done among them. Jesus was astonished at their missed opportunity. The passage ends with Jesus’ amazement just like it began with the people’s amazement. Jesus did not stick around to argue with these people but moved on like he instructs his disciples in verse 11.
When Jesus comes our village (life, home, family), are we ready for his miracle or will we keep to our ignorance and unbelief? If miracles do not happen among us, perhaps we are being too much like the people of Nazareth. The amount a church expects God to work and has faith in him will determine God’s reaction to them. A lack of faith will not keep God from working, but it severely puts a damper on what God will do. The problem with the people of Nazareth was that they thought they knew him already, when in fact, they did not.
For older posts, click here.