Mark 6:1-6 is one of those sections of the New Testament that causes some head scratching. It begins with a simple statement that "Jesus came to His own homeland." The Greek word patris means country, home land or native place. It literally means 'father land' (hence the Patristics are the Fathers in the early church). The idea of coming home is a major theme of literature and human reflection. What does it mean to have a place called home?
Jesus, who has quite the reputation for amazing things, does not receive a hero's welcome. The social-science commentary, focused on the workings of a shame culture, postulates that Jesus' honor is seen as a diminishment for others. He is making more of Himself than He should. This is why the questions start.
Jesus is teaching and the people are amazed. The Greek word (ekplesso) literally means "to be struck" with the prefix "out." The word conveys the image of being struck and the air coming out of our lungs. It is used to convey astonishment. However, their shock is not a good kind. For immediately they question the source of Jesus' power. Our (post) modern age is not the first one to question things and we did not invent doubt or cynicism. Rejection, as I have often said, was the first response to Jesus and it was the majority opinion. His own town's people are an example. I am not sure exactly how many people lived there, but it is safe to assume it was numbered in the hundreds. It would be smaller than my high school graduation class.
"Where did He get this?" they asked. Then the process of putting Him in His place. Is He not the son of Mary. [screeching halt here.... Notice Mark does not mention Joesph. This is unusual because the father is the primary referent, not the mother. Many see a connection here between Matthew/Luke and their stories of the unusual circumstances around Jesus' birth.] The people know His brothers (James, Joses, Judas, & Simon; note three of those names are shared by disciples, too. That is why it is hard to keep track of folks in the early church. Lots had the same name). We hear Jesus had sisters (names and number left unsaid). Because the people knew His family they assumed they knew all that they had to know. Honor and shame. The lines were drawn and Jesus was told to knock it off acting like He was someone when he was no one!
Then the word: skandalizo. It is not hard to guess the meaning of the Greek word, it sounds like its English derivitive, scandal. Jesus is an offense. He is a scandal. The word literally means "trip people up" like a block of stone. Why? How? Jesus teaches amazing things and does amazing things and the people are offended????? How can this be. Herein lies the mystery!
We are offended by goodness. We are offended by authority. We are offended by people who comply with God's rules and do His will. (Even and especially conservative Christians) Our hearts are not right. And when we meet Jesus, to some extent, all of us are scandalized. We have our own ideas about how it should work. We have an authority, perhaps God's word, maybe our hearts and feelings, or the church teaching, or the latest guru, or 'my momma says'; whatever the source it is ALWAYS filtered through our own personal lense (preferences, prejudices, fears, desires, culture, etc.). So when we say "The Bible is clear..." often times we fail to see how much of ourselves is present in what we declare. Or when we state "in my heart" we neglect to recognize just how treacherous and self-deceptive that heart can be. You get the drift, we dilute truth...
It says Jesus "could do no dunamai or mighty works." (the Greek word is the root for dynamite in English). Oh, He was able to heal some folks. Apparently healing is no big deal for Jesus. It is not a mighty work. It is just what He does when He can do nothing else.... But the thought that Jesus cannot do something grates the ears. What does it mean that the all-powerful can be shut down by rejection? What does that mean in our own time? Is the increasing unbelief of our culture the reason so little amazing occurs in church? Is the fact that many born-again, card carrying, "I love Jesus" Christians believe signs and wonders and healings belong only to the first generation of disciples the cause of so little power (dunamis) in our age? Is the secularism and agnosticism so prevalent today a shield around us limiting the All-Mighty to a spectator much of the time?
I always assume that what ails ancient people makes me sick, too. I never think that I am immune from the misunderstanding and lack of faith that I read about. I figure I am as obtuse as they were. And I assume the people I meet are as misshapen by those faults as I am. I do not totally trust my feelings and I do not feel completely secure that I got it right. I question my own interpretation of texts and I wonder what I am missing. And I do not think others have gotten it right, either. The reason is simple. The manifestation of the power of God in the church in my own age is meager. Even super churches with ten thousand members do not seem to have an appreciable uptick in what Jesus says should be taking place. Maybe the best we can do is long for it. To admit our failings and hunger for a fuller outpouring. And confess our doubt. And understand how distressing Jesus finds our unbelief. The world is mysterious. And Jesus does cause us to stumble and fall. But He also will pick us up!
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