Mark
6:1-6
“Is 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.”
(Mark
6:3)
Familiarity is difficult to overcome. Once you know something about someone, it is
hard to unlearn what you know, or what you think you know.
Jesus returned to his hometown of Nazareth,
a small, seemingly insignificant village of a few hundred. He had become something of a celebrity,
performing miracles and teaching with authority like no one before him. One might think he would have returned home
to a hero’s welcome, but not in Nazareth. Perhaps the locals hadn’t heard about
his exploits, but news like that traveled fast, even in the ancient world. More likely, they just couldn’t believe that
his simple carpenter heritage could produce anything more. They were determined to value him within the
limits of the familiar. “Who do you think you are?” they asked. “We know who you are!” they
answered.
We live in a world of possibility where
wonder can be a welcome companion. The tragedy in this story is that those who
thought they knew Jesus, refused to consider the possibility that he was more
than they knew him to be. As a result, they missed the blessing. Does
familiarity limit what Jesus can do in
you?
Prayer: Wondrous God, help me be open to the
possibility of what you can do in me.
Amen.
Jim
Abernathy
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