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Refusing to Believe - Mark 6:1-3Jesus left there and went back to his home town. His followers went with him. On the Sabbath day Jesus taught in the synagogue. Many people heard him teach and were amazed. These people said, "Where did this man get this teaching? How did he get this wisdom? Who gave it to him? And where did he get the power to do miracles? {Surely, not from God!} He is only the carpenter. And his mother is Mary. He is the brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon. And his sisters are here with us." The people did not accept Jesus. (ERV) Full Text
Key Thought"He's just ..." There wasn't anything about Jesus' early life that attracted the attention and fascination of his fellow townspeople. They expected nothing great of him. He was just another kid from their town. They knew his family and they expected no great thing out of him. So they were offended by actions that captured the hearts of other people and they refused to believe what so many called compelling evidence of his divinity. Despite thousands of years of witnesses, the faith of many in the scientific community, and the testimony of close friends, many today refuse to believe. For some, the problem is pride. For others, it is a lifestyle they don't want to change. For others, it is a lack of interest. For others, there are some intellectual hangups. But underneath it all, there is a refusal to believe ... a refusal to seek after something that they can't identify or analyze with empirical investigation. So which are you, one who refuses to believe and denies faith or one who seeks after truth and finds faith? Today's PrayerToday's Verses in ContextJesus left there and went back to his home town. His followers went with him. On the Sabbath day Jesus taught in the synagogue. Many people heard him teach and were amazed. These people said, "Where did this man get this teaching? How did he get this wisdom? Who gave it to him? And where did he get the power to do miracles? {Surely, not from God!} He is only the carpenter. And his mother is Mary. He is the brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon. And his sisters are here with us." The people did not accept Jesus. Jesus said to the people, "Other people give honor to a prophet. But in his own town with his own people and in his own home, a prophet does not get honor." Jesus was not able to do many miracles in that town. The only miracles he did were to heal some sick people by putting his hands on them. Jesus was very surprised because those people did not have faith. Then Jesus went to other villages in that area and taught. Jesus called the twelve followers together. Jesus sent them out in groups of two. Jesus gave them power over evil spirits. This is what Jesus told his followers: "Take nothing for your trip. Take only a stick for walking. Take no bread, no bag, and no money in your pockets. Wear shoes, and take only the clothes you are wearing. When you enter a house, stay in that house until you leave that town. If any town refuses to accept you or refuses to listen to you, then leave that town. Shake their dust off your feet. This will be a warning to them." The followers left there and went to other places. They talked to the people and told them to change their hearts and lives. The followers forced many demons out of people. And the followers put olive oil on sick people and healed them. — Mark 6:1-13 (ERV)
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