Preconceived Notions - sermon notes

                                                    Mark 6:1-13

Intro: Earlier this year people all over the country were rooting for a race horse that seemed to come out of nowhere. “I’ll Have Another” was a small-time horse, from a small time breeder, who only paid $11,000 for him; small change by race horse standards. He went on to win over $2 million, and sold for an undisclosed amount of millions.

      We all like to root for the underdog, for the one who seems to have no chance of winning, for the one who is just an ordinary guy, and yet manages to do extraordinary things. In many ways Jesus was such a person. Small town, ordinary parents, nothing special. And yet…

      But today’s Gospel reading is about a significant bump in the road in Jesus’ ministry. Here is a place when he didn’t do or say very much that was extraordinary. Yet the Gospel of Mark records it because, apparently, there is some important message for us here.

Three groups that Mark focuses on:

      1) Hometown people – They went to hear Jesus at the Synagogue and were initially impressed “astounded” at his wisdom and teaching. The more they thought about it, the less impressed they became. Vs 3 they begin to list all that was against Jesus – his common upbringing, his illegitimate birth, insulting his mother. So they “took offense” at him. Greek is skandalon, to stumble, from which we get “scandal”.

      They had become so familiar with Jesus that they took him for granted. Do we do the same? Do we stop and consider the marvelous grace and mercy of God or do we take it for granted, an everyday thing?

      2) Jesus – What was his reaction to all this? How did he respond? First, he quoted them a proverb, that a prophet is without honor in his home town. It’s hard for folks to see past a person’s past. They know all the stupid stunts and bad choices they made as kids. How could they be great now?

      Illus: One of the people I most respect as a pastor is Marcus Sheffield. Not only has he endured as a pastor at FBC for two decades, he did it in his home town, where people know him, they know his faults, they know what he did when he was a kid, and still, they respect him as a pastor and teacher. Shows he is a man of integrity.

      Mark also says that Jesus “could do no deed of power there,” except to lay hands on a few people and heal a few minor illnesses. Why do you think that is? Do you think Jesus was unable because of the people’s lack of faith? I doubt it. First, Jesus did many miracles when people lacked faith; he healed the sick, raised the dead, stilled the storm, and provided food for thousands of people when no one believed he could. That’s not it. Jesus was Almighty God in human flesh, a little unbelief would not have disabled his power.

      I think Jesus did no miracles for two reasons; First, since the people refused to believe, any miracle he did would be misconstrued or dismissed. They did not believe God could work through ordinary means. Like people who go to hospitals; they expect cures, but they also pray. Who provides the cure? God or the doctors? Second, it may be that since they did not believe, no one brought the sick to him to be healed. Maybe no one came except a few who were so desperate they would try anything. Let’s be clear: Jesus was not prevented from healing because of the people’s lack of faith. It’s not that he could not heal, but that he would not. He did not heal people against their will.

      Jesus also “marveled at their lack of faith.” He was astounded that anyone could purposefully reject what was right before them. Did you know that Jesus marveled at faith one other time? In MT 8:10, Jesus marveled at the faith of a centurion. – Tell the story. But here Jesus marvels at unbelief. How sad.

      3) The disciples – They were charged with going out into the surrounding towns and villages to spread the good news about God.

      After seeing how Jesus was treated, the went out anyway. He told them that if they were not accepted, they were to shake the dust from their feet. This was an ancient Jewish practice when they travelled so that they would not share in the judgment that would befall a pagan land.

      They were successful; they preached repentance and healed the sick. They continued the ministry of Jesus.

What about us? Which group will we be most like? Townspeople who refused to see God in ordinary things? Or disciples, who took Jesus at his word and went out to do his work?