Familiar wrapping, extraordinary gift

Mark 6:1-6a

¹ Jesus left there and went to his hometown, accompanied by his disciples. ² When the Sabbath came, he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were amazed.

“Where did this man get these things?” they asked. “What’s this wisdom that has been given him? What are these remarkable miracles he is performing? ³ Isn’t this the carpenter? Isn’t this Mary’s son and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas and Simon? Aren’t his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him.

⁴ Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own town, among his relatives and in his own home.” ⁵ He could not do any miracles there, except lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them. ⁶ He was amazed at their lack of faith.

There is an interesting interplay here between Honour and Power.  Jesus, who normally had considerable power to perform miracles found it difficult because of the lack of faith expressed by the people.  How was this lack of faith expressed, it was expressed in familiarity to the person, rather than recognition of the authority of the teaching.  The gathered people recognised that the teaching was ‘out of the box’ but the person who taught them was familiar and this, at least for some, perhaps many of the crowd impacted the ability of the truth to drive deeply in to the souls of the men and women.  They did not honour the person bringing the truth nor did they honour the truth for being the truth.

Where are the times when the ‘packaging’ of something has interrupted my reception of it?  Where have I limited my faith expression based on the person or situation a God given opportunity presented itself to me?

Father, help me keep a soft heart to you and in so doing not be more concerned with the wrapping as with the present within.

Written by Ps. Richard Botta