Passage Read: Mark 5-6
Meditation Verses: 6:1-6
Thought
These people thought they knew Jesus, because He grew up among them. They knew Him as the carpenter. They knew His mother and father, His sisters and brothers. Because they knew His upbringing, they couldn't understand how He now knew so much about God and His Word. He hadn't been away from them for very long, certainly not long enough to now have authority to teach in their synagogue. They had heard the stories of Him healing people all throughout the region, but they couldn't believe it. So only a few came to Him for healing. Most refused to believe that Jesus could somehow be better than them, something more than them. Surely they searched their memories for anything He might have done wrong, but doubtless couldn't find anything, except when He may have done things differently than what they thought should have been done. They may have indicted Him for sin for what wasn't sin, but only difference of opinion or practice. Their jealousy would have contributed to their unbelief. Instead of being excited that a hometown boy had become famous, they refused to believe in Him--because He was famous for His spiritual power and authority.
Application
Thinking we know someone well can keep us from understanding who they really are in full. Jesus' neighbors thought they knew who He was, but they didn't know Him as well as they thought. It was their confidence that made them blind, and their unwillingness to admit that they clearly didn't know Him as well as they thought. It required too much humility to admit that they were wrong about Jesus. A mighty prophet had grown up in their midst and they never recognized Him. Now, instead of rejoicing and coming to Him in faith, they rejected Him, even threatened to kill Him. It's hard for people to accept their ignorance when they think they know Jesus. They want to believe in their personal version of Jesus, because that Jesus gives them the space to be whatever they want to be and do whatever they want to do. The real Jesus is much more holy, though gracious and willing to forgive. But He demands too much from us. He has standards and calls us to repentance and godly living. When confronted with that Jesus, most people who "have Jesus figured out" don't want to accept that they're wrong. The ones who are convinced they know Jesus (but don't) are the hardest to win. Jesus came to them, but left them, amazed at their lack of faith, their unwillingness to believe. A few were helped, most remained lost. It was a trip that needed to be done, even though there was so little fruit and it produced so much hostility. Still they needed to be confronted. As people today who think they know Jesus also need to be confronted with the full Jesus, the complete Jesus, the real Jesus.