“The essential ingredient”
By Rev. Michael Stonhouse
Meditation – Tuesday, March 5, 2024 Mark 6:1-13 (Forward, p. 36) CEV p. 1033
Years ago, at a Bible conference, I was startled to hear a preacher suggest that sometimes God wants to work, but is limited, limited by our unbelief. I was staggered by the mere thought that an omnipotent God, the God whom we worship, could be limited by something as seemingly finite as human unbelief. But then the preacher shared a couple of verses from today’s passage:
“Jesus could not work any miracles there, except to heal a few sick people by placing his hands on them. He was surprised that the people did not have any faith” (verses 5-6).
And a lack of faith—though it is never named as such—seems to have appeared later, in the ministry of the Twelve when they were sent out. Jesus puts it this way. “If any place won’t welcome you or listen to your message…” (verse 11).
So, what is happening here? In the case of Jesus’ hometown of Nazareth, it is their thinking that they ‘knew all about’ this hometown boy, which was reflected in their lack of openness to anything new coming from Him that inhibited them. They had Him pigeon-holed and in their thinking expected nothing more than what He’d previously exhibited during His life among them. So, how could they put their faith in Him, ‘of all people’? So, they were missing that most essential ingredient, faith.
And, what about the neighbouring villages? Their negative response appears, at least on the surface, to have to do with their message, which was one of repentance. And, a lot of ‘good folks’, outwardly religious, conscientious folks, have trouble with this, for repentance implies making an about face with our lives and goals. It implies turning from running our lives ourselves to letting God run them instead. And, quite naturally, we humans, preferring to be the gods of our own lives, resist that prospect. And, of course, surrendering control over to God in this way also implies having faith, trusting Him to take care of us and lead us in ways that loving and appropriate. And so, once again, they are missing out on that essential
ingredient, faith. I pray and trust that this will not be true of any of us. Amen.
Forward notes: “Then Jesus said to them, ‘Prophets are not without honour, except in their home town, and among their own kin, and in their own house’” (verse 4).
“Many students are applying for college admission this spring, and some might be heading far from home. Leaving home is appealing for some, as teens can feel misunderstood. However, with time, people search for their true home. This can lead to a sense of restlessness. Saint Augustine felt this way when he wrote in his Confessions, ‘Our hearts are restless until they find their rest in You.’
“The presence of Jesus offers us a way to find solutions to the restlessness of our souls. Even though the people of Nazareth rejected Jesus, we know we always have a home with God. Jesus’s struggles show us how God understands our moments of rejection by others, but they also invite us to claim our identity in another way: as beloved children of God. Accepting this offer fundamentally changes our perspective of daily acceptance or rejection. Our belovedness shines through every space, and the home we truly seek is found in the very heart of God.”
Moving Forward: “Are you feeling restless? Pray to accept God’s invitation to claim your belovedness.”