Belief and unbelief

Those who put more value and worth in their own assumptions than in God are headed into dangerous territory

What are the things that make you marvel?

We all marvel at certain things.

We might wonder at a sunset or massive waves crashing on a beach during a storm.

We might might marvel at the miniature fingers and toes of a newborn baby.

Near the beginning of the Gospel of Mark, Jesus does a series of rapid-fire miracles that makes me marvel. He commands a storm to cease, delivers a demoniac, heals a woman and raises a little girl from the dead, all within a chapter and a bit. Every person who was involved in these miracles marvelled at Jesus’ power.

But after all those incredible miracles, Jesus went to His hometown of Nazareth and they didn’t marvel. Instead it was Jesus who marvelled. Jesus marvelled at their unbelief. This is the only place in Scripture where it specifically says that Jesus could not do many miracles.

I grew up in Moose Jaw, Sask. If you were or are a pilot in the Canadian military, you learned to first fly in Moose Jaw. Moose Jaw is also the home for Canada’s aerial aerobatics team, the Snowbirds. As you enter Moose Jaw you will see a sign that says “Welcome to Moose Jaw, home of the Snowbirds.” Moose Jaw is pretty proud of that fact.

But at the entrance to the town of Nazareth, you wouldn’t find a sign saying “Home of Jesus” in the first century.

In fact, Mark 6:3 says when Jesus tried to minister to His hometown, they took offence at Him. The Greek word that is translated “offence” is where we get our English word, “scandal". They thought Jesus was scandalous. They had heard reports about the miracles, and they thought it was scandalous.

In response, Jesus says, “A prophet is not without honour, except in his hometown.” (Mark 6:4). And he marvelled at their unbelief. Why wouldn’t they believe?

There are probably many reasons but let me give you two.

When we put more value and worth in our own assumptions than in God, we’re headed into dangerous territory. When we place our own reason and intellect above the obvious work of God, we miss His revelation. These people knew that Jesus had done miracles. They just couldn’t make Him fit into their box of who He should be. Does Jesus fit into your box? We also don’t believe when we get hung up on the past. It’s not that we don’t believe Jesus did all that He did in the past. It’s that we don’t believe that Jesus can do it here and now. We like the Jesus of the past and can agree with everything in the past. It’s the Jesus of the present we have problems with. But the simple fact of the matter is that every miracle Jesus has done, He can still do in our lives. That’s called belief.

There are only two times in Scripture that Jesus marvelled. This is one of them as He marvels at their unbelief. The other time is in Matthew 8 when a Roman centurion came to Jesus and essentially said, “Jesus, I’m a man of authority. I command people and they do it. You’re a man of authority. You say the word, and it happens. Would You please heal my servant?” Scripture says that Jesus marvelled and said, “Truly I tell you, I have not found anyone in Israel with so great a faith.” (Matthew 8:10)

There are two things that make Jesus marvel: belief and unbelief. Would you make Him marvel at your belief?