It reflects on the readings for the 14th Sunday in Ordinary Time, liturgical cycle B (Ez 2:2-5; Ps 123; 2 Cor 12:7-10; Mark 6:1-6 ). They could not bring themselves to accept Jesus as the Son of God. Here we have the same story with a slightly different choice of words used by Matthew. The incident reads like a sad footnote to a day gone wrong, where Christ couldnt do what he really wanted to do. Jesus didnt come down because the Cross had a purpose. When Mark says Jesus could not perform any mighty works there, he isnt suggesting the Lord was incapacitated in some way. But Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor except in his own town and in his own home." New Living Translation And they were deeply offended and refused to believe in him. And he did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief. get to know the Bible better! He was nailed down. The NLT says, And because of their unbelief, he couldnt do any miracles among them except to place his hands on a few sick people and heal them.. At the same time though, if anyone should have believed Jesus claims, it should have been them. At face value, it sounds as if the peoples lack of faith was his kryptonite, as if it weakened him or robbed him of his power. Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson. The same thing is true if someone tells you the truth and you do not believe them. The Lord has granted to man the power of choice. I want to have a big faith that looks expectantly for the wine-making, disease-curing, water-walking Jesus. 26:39). putting, And he could there do no great works, save that he laid his hands upon a few sick folk, and healed. The reception was less than stellar, because he didnt look like the hope anyone expected. Mark 9:23 Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth. If it is unbelief, then repent, confess the sin, and ask the Holy Spirit to help you believe and seek after God. 1 Peter 2:7 Verse Concepts This precious value, then, is for you who believe; but for those who disbelieve, "The stone which the builders rejected, And he wrought not many mighty works there, because of their unbelief. When those anxieties sit behind our efforts, were no longer living out of the reality that God loves us beyond measure and nothing can snatch us out of his hand. CEV And because the people did not have any faith, Jesus did not work many miracles there. But he could not do any other miracles there. This passage states that Jesus did not do miraclesnot that he could not do them. Jesus had emptied Himself of certain of His divine prerogatives when He became a man Philippians 2:7 tells us. Kosuke Koyama wrote in Three Mile an Hour God, Jesus Christ came. Fear of being misunderstood. The true demonstration of his power was the opposite of what everyone was wanting from him. Instead of indicating failure, his inactivity told the world exactly who had arrived. Mary is not the mother as in progenerator of God, she has no special power and she is not to be worshiped or venerated. 13:45). Start your free trial today! Problem: Matthew writes, He did not do many miracles there because of their unbelief (Mt. When Jesus came to Nazareth, Mark says at that time, And he could there do no mighty work (Mark 6:5). Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular. His was the only assessment that counted, and he was thoroughly pleased with his Son before he had even begun his public ministry. And he did not there many works of power, because of their unbelief. Let me state this another way. They are not a prerequisite for faith. These people knew Jesus before he started his ministry. And he was amazed at their lack of faith. They knew Him as a pious man from His consistent involvement so they should have known that His power to do miracles had to have come from God. And he was not able there to do many nissim (miracles), except on a few cholim (sick people) he laid (his) hands and administered refuah (healing) to them. This objection, however, overlooks a very important element relating to how God deals with human beings. It's easy to think about the miracles that Jesus did do. To unlock this article for your friends, use any of the social share buttons on our site, or simply copy the link below. And he went about among the villages teaching." (emphasis . If you do not believe the sign and head for the other bridge, you have a four mile detour ahead of you. 58And He did not do many miracles there because of their unbelief. Given my tendency to want everyones approval and acceptance, I would have thought, Heres an opportunity to win these people over. Given my tendency to want. DARBY And he did not there many works of power, because of their unbelief. When we do not believe Him and seek our own kingdom first, we are left to our own devices. Jesus had grown up in their midst. Theres a story in the gospels about a time in Jesus ministry when he returned to his boyhood stomping grounds of Nazareth. . 4:14), so he could not do miracles indiscriminately without turning his mission into a sideshow.[1]. If Jesus was truly the Son of God, why does it say he could not perform miracles in his hometown? Scripture tells us husbands to love our wives the same way Christ loved the church, which is committed self-sacrificial love of action. (1984). In fact, Christs choice to do nothing in this story embodies a bigger truth. They knew that He had no formal religious training, so what He was teaching and the authority He had in teaching could only have come from God. Their familiarity was their excuse, but it was an irrelevant excuse. And he did not there many works of power [And he did not there many virtues], for the unbelief of them. They may be Mr. so and so to everyone else, but to you they are still little Johnny, or Andy, or Davy, or whatever nickname they were called. People were shocked that this man they had known since childhood had the audacity to say the things he did, as if he had the authority and credentials to do so. And he did not work many mighty deeds there because of their lack of faith. Fear of not being enough. What if this is what it looks like? Praise God that Christ does not share my insecurity. They knew He did not have formal religious training like the Rabbis so how could He teach like He does? . He gives the twelve power over unclean spirits. gain access to 50+ premium resources to enhance your study of Scripture. Jesus comes and is teaching in the synagogue again. From dunamai; force; specially, miraculous power. The term cannot is used in the sense of a moral imperative. . . It took tremendous inner strength to not act in an effort to prove himself. Being brought to a full stop where, as Bren Brown puts it, you get clear on whose opinions of you matter.. But He did put His hands on a few sick people and healed them. But is that all there is to this story? There was a reason why Jesus chose to limit his miraculous demonstrations in this neighborhood. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House. complete (); but in the case of the failure of the disciples to perform a miracle, only comparative (, Matthew 17:20). From Pilate to the priests to the disciples, everyone assumed that the best thing Jesus could do was to help himself not be crucified. Be not highminded, but fear: Pulpit CommentaryVerse 58. If I were in his shoes, I think I would have gone the opposite direction. That seemed like the obvious choice for anybody with the power at their disposal that Jesus claimed to have. They say that church people are hypocrites and dont live perfect lives. He couldnt do anything remarkable there, except that he laid hands on a few sick people and cured them. Every magnificent miracle he graces us with is a gift worthy of celebration. The temptation to be impressive in his hometown foreshadowed the temptation Christ faced during his trial and crucifixion. Apparently a prolonged form of an obsolete primary; to make or do. And He did not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief. Our rationale is that the better we package the message, the more attractive Christ will be. They were proud of Him, they expected the fame Jesus was gaining would result in prestige for their community, but they did not expect Jesus to bring His message or repentance to them. New American Standard Bible Copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. He could not do any miracles there, except lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them. And our unease increases as we step up the pressure to generate our own adequacy. And he did not many powers there, because of their unbelief. If you are coming from some perverse desire to prove your intellectual ability to explain away what you hear here or find excuses to discount what is presented, then be warned that you are only bringing more condemnation upon yourself. Jesus placed his hands on a few sick people and healed them. Jesus first describes these to a large crowd along the shore of the Sea of Galilee. They have good looks, the right schooling, impressive resumes, connections to other influential individuals. Whereas Mark records that Christ could there do no mighty work, Matthew simply has it like this: And he did not do many miracles there because of their unbelief.. He exercised divine power over infirmity (John 9:1ff), the laws of nature (John 6:19), material objects (John 2:1ff), the demonic world (Matthew 12:22), and even death itself (John 11:43-44). Did Jesus need people to believe in him in order for him to perform miracles? Jesus then begins His series of parables. He refused to force Himself upon those who did not want Him (Hiebert, p. 156). The miracle of five loaves and two fishes. Simply because there are consequences to what you believe about Jesus Christ and this mornings text points out the consequences of refusing to believe the truth. The problem lies in the hearts of those who seek for a flaw in the life of Christ so as to avoid submission to him. In Mark 6:4-5 Jesus affirmed that a prophet is without honor in his home town, and in view of that reality, He could not perform any miracles in Nazareth except for healing a few sick people. A Conservative Version. God is not limited by man in any way. To put, place upon, lay on; I add, give in addition. A comparison of Mark 6:5, with Matthew 13:58 (a parallel text), will bring the solution into focus. Wappingers Falls, NY 12590 He summoned the twelve, and began to send them out in twos, giving them power over evil spirits. In brief interactions, he radically altered peoples lives. How does the conscientious Bible student explain this difficult passage? God can do anything He wants anytime He wants anyplace He wants regardless of who is present and what they believe. If you ask God for a sign from heaven like the Pharisees, chances are youll be disappointed like the Pharisees. And he could there do no mighty work (6:5). Another illustration youre walking through the woods and come to a bridge that crosses over the stream. Let me give you a few quick examples? You look at the bridge and see that it is old; it has loose boards and some missing boards. Fear of looking stupid. Then Jesus told them, "A prophet is honored everywhere except in his own hometown and among his own family." English Standard Version And they took offense at him. The last synagogue built in Capernaum, which was built over the site of the one in which Jesus had taught, was decorated with various animals and mythological characters demonstrating that in rejecting the one true God, they had fallen into worship of false ones. Here we find that Joseph and Mary had normal marital relations after Jesus birth and they had at least four more sons and two daughters. He could not do any of His great works among them except with a few of the sick, whom He healed by laying His hands upon them. If you believe a lie, if you are mislead by someone elses deceit, if you just misunderstand, regardless of how sincere you were in your beliefs, you will still have to deal with the results of whatever decisions you made. Infirm. The verse (58) says: "And he did not do many mighty works there, because of their unbelief.". They knew Him well and knew by experience that He was truthful and did not lie. And he did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief. Both point to a similar truth: in the gospel of Matthew, Jesus does not do miracles because of the unbelief of those of His own city. Another example. There was a reason why Jesus chose to limit his miraculous demonstrations in this neighborhood. If the people in the church are affluent, they must not be godly or they would be more helpful to the poor. Was Christs Power Limited by Mans Faith? In the face of that skepticism and outright hostility, Jesus chose not to do miracles. If so, the unbelief of the people of Nazareth (or us) replaces Christ as the main character. To the people of Nazareth, Jesus was just a carpenter that used to live there and the son of a carpenter whose family still lived there. But it is good to know that Christs work is not all depending on me. Youre certainly welcome to continue attending here, but I do not know why you would. It is the same logical impossibility of God saving humanity without the Cross (Mt. [1] Carson, D. A. They have too many hymns or too many choruses. The Scribes and Pharisees here had accused Jesus of doing His miracles by the power of Satan. What occurs here in Matthew 13 is a repeat of what had happened earlier in His first return to Nazareth. Last week we talked about being thankful in the midst of every circumstance. He couldnt work any miracles there except to lay his hands on a few sick people and cure them. and he did not there many mighty works, because of their unbelief. and Matthew. Therefore the name of the city was called Zoar. He neglects her and pursues his own interest, and she either responds in fear and tries to hold onto him tighter or becomes indifferent and develops her own interests to pursue resulting in them living together, but separate lives. Matthew 13:53 says, And it came about that when Jesus had finished these parables, he departed from there. Remember that Jesus had begun to teach in parables for the express purpose of revealing truth to His followers while hiding those same truths from His enemies. And he could there do no mighty work, save that he laid his hands on a few sick folk, and healed them. Now He could do no mighty work there, except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed. Their familiarity should have made them even more thoughtful of His miracles. Verb - Aorist Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Singular. Jesus had strongly rebuked them, even declaring that such an accusation, since it was made against the work and witness of the Holy Spirit, left them without hope of redemption. When I am unfairly treated. and he was not able there any mighty work to do, except on a few infirm people having put hands he did heal [them]; Sign up now for the latest news and deals from Bible Gateway! Apparently a prolonged form of an obsolete primary; to make or do. And He could do no miracle there except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them. That unshakable love was the foundation that freed Christ from the compulsion to scramble after the crowds approval. John the Baptist is imprisoned, beheaded, and buried. 11:6). He could do no mighty work there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people, and healed them. Jesus is a prophet without honor in his own country. Genesis 19:22 Haste thee, escape thither; for I cannot do any thing till thou be come thither. And he could show no miracles there, except he laid his hands upon a few sick folk and healed them. They dont believe now, but if I do something impressive, it will convince them once and for all that I really am the Son of God.. Jesus was not the kind of miracle worker whose primary purpose was to impress his viewers [with no regard to the nature of their disposition] (Brooks, p. 100). At this point of full stop, the apostolic church proclaims that the love of God to man is ultimately and fully revealed., We speak frequently of being crucified with Christ. He was not able to perform any miracles there, except that he placed his hands on a few sick people and healed them. religious corporation as defined under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Because it is only his acceptance of the grave that brings us the hope of the resurrection, the best miracle of all. Now, why all this talk about beliefs and opinions and consequences? And we catch a glimpse of the Lamb who stood silent before his shearers (Isa. He is merely the carpenters son. They find fault with everyone and everything but themselves. But what about the miracles he didnt do? Let me comment here that the normal practice was to read the Scriptures while standing and then to sit down to give the interpretation so that there would be no impression given that the comments were equal to the Scriptures. All rights reserved. How has that worked out in your life? Of uncertain affinity; there; by extension, thither.because of (dia)PrepositionStrong's 1223: A primary preposition denoting the channel of an act; through.their (autn)Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Masculine 3rd Person PluralStrong's 846: He, she, it, they, them, same. Jesus didn't come down because the Cross had a purpose. When Mark says that Jesus could not perform miracles, this was not because of his ability; but rather, this was due to his mission. Jesus occasionally passed through the city again on His way to somewhere else, but He never ministered there in the same way again. Jesus performed miracles in accordance with the Old Testament prophecies, and thus demonstrating that He was indeed the Messiah, and Jesus performed miracles to strengthen the faith of those who did believe in Him. Granted, faith is essential to the Christian life (Heb. That includes this passage. Similarly, the very lack of a dramatic display in Nazareth becomes a revelation of Jesus character. I dont much like getting to full stop. From the particle au; the reflexive pronoun self, used of the third person, and of the other persons. And He could not do any miracle there except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed. And the book of the prophet Isaiah was handed to Him. How much does your unbelief hinder the work that God desires to do in you and through you? And he did no mighty works there, because of their lack of faith. We are committed to declaring the Word of God as plainly and clearly as we can. But the reality of the matter is that not all opinions are equal. Why? He was unable to do many miracles there because of their disbelief. Yet if he had listened to their logic and used their criteria for attempting to prove himselfmiraculously getting down from the crosshe would have undermined the very core of his mission and disproved himself instead. They saw and heard, but they did not believe. For Capernaum, what they failed to believe and what they believed instead sealed their doom. Mat Mt). We want you to know and live according to the truth. 2:13). And He did not do many great works there, because of their unbelief. Died: Charles Stanley, In Touch Preacher Who Led with Stubborn Faith, Steven Curtis Chapman Ranked Alongside George Strait and Madonna, Complete access to articles on ChristianityToday.com, Over 120 years of magazine archives plus full access to all of CTs online archives. Luke 16:31). ' And He said, Truly I say to you, no prophet is welcome in his home town. And he did not many miracles there, for their unbelief's sake. Whatand WhenAre the 12 Days of Christmas? Jesus did not do many works in Nazareth because the people did not believe. Mark says that Jesus could not do many miracles. [ This article is also available in It was offensive. The Bible unequivocally teaches that Jesus possessed the power to perform miracles. It feels wrong. It was His choice not to do them to satisfy the desire of those whose hearts were hard and were willfully unbelieving. He, she, it, they, them, same. Jeff Peabody is a writer and senior pastor of New Day Church in Northeast Tacoma, Washington. They say it takes a hundred miles to make an expert, i.e., a local person is not an expert until they go somewhere a hundred miles or more away. And he was not able to do any mighty work there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and healed them. Their familiarity should have made them pay even more attention to what Jesus was teaching. Jesus answered them, "I told you, and you do not believe; the works that I do in My Father's name, these testify of Me. And he could do no mighty work there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and healed them. May he also give us eyes to see and trust that even his inactionmaybe especially his inactionreflects his full stop on the cross. Try Bible Gateway Plus free today! Where then did this man get all these things?. So Jesus could do no powerful works there. When Jesus came into the region of his old community, he encountered a hard-hearted resistance. Yet our motivation for wanting to be spectacular can often be traced back to fear. However, if you are not really interested in the truth then be honest with yourself. (a) I make, manufacture, construct, (b) I do, act, cause. But the Bible critic feels that the problem is not resolved. But the message of the gospel is the same for everyone and Jesus began to expose their sin as He revealed their acclaim for Him was not based in their belief in Him. He couldnt get over their stubbornness. They do not like his suit or the way he combs his hair. If those myths were true, then they would not be astonished here when He does them as a grown man. Matthew 12:38). Here are three instances in the Bible where Jesus chose not to do the miraculous wonders he was known for: In Mark 6 (and Matthew 13), Jesus returns to Nazareth, his hometown. This expression is an idiomatic manner of speaking occasionally employed in the New Testament to connote the idea that one, for some reason, chooses not to do something though technically, he has the ability to do it. In connection with the Lords visit to this region Mark records a curious statement. They had not seen Him do miracles when He was living in Nazareth so where did this power come from? Do not be conceited, but fear; Take care, brethren, that there not be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart that falls away from the living God. Theologian P. T. Forsyth in The Cruciality of the Cross alludes to how the silence of Christ speaks volumes about his work. He could not do any miracles there, except lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them. It was not pretty. And he did not do many mighty works there, because of their unbelief. So he did not do many miracles there because they had no faith. They question where Jesus learned these things and gained these powers. Before you think I'm reading too much into this passage, reflect on Mark's description of Jesus in the following verse: "And He wondered at their unbelief." Mark 6:6 It was because of their unbelief that Jesus could not perform miracles among them. It can be hard for those who have watched a child grow up to accept that person later as a public official or community leader. 53:23). For less than $5/mo. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the. But he didnt come down. to adore, or to relieve. 53:7). So Jesus was not able to work any miracles there except to heal a few sick people by putting his hands on them. He is present in the silence of non-answers, true to himself regardless of my fluctuating trust. He suggests that many historical and modern miracle accounts are best explained as genuine divine acts, lending credence to the biblical miracle reports. And on the Sabbath he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astonished, saying, Where did this man get these things? Carson writes, "The 'could not' is related to Jesus' mission: just as Jesus could not turn stones to bread without . This section, as well as the next couple of chapters, is a vivid example of the truths that Jesus taught in the parables of Matthew 13. disbelief, or unfaithfulness. Our text says that Jesus departed from there, and in verse 54, coming to His home town He began teaching them in their synagogue, so that they became astonished, and said, Where did this man get this wisdom, and these miraculous powers?. Archaeological excavations show that the town had enjoyed a period of worldly prosperity, but along with that came increasing pagan influence. Scripture tells us that the good news of the kingdom is like a priceless pearl (Matt. Hindrances To spiritual progress Unbelief hindered Christ's work in nazareth, Jesus Christ History of Returns to nazareth, Miracles Faith required in Those for whom they were performed. . Off the shores of the Philippines, a fisherman discovered a very large, misshapen pearl. If I were in his shoes, I think I would have gone the opposite direction. The result was that Jesus did few miracles in Nazareth because of their unbelief. 6 And he marvelled because of their unbelief. Each answered question takes them farther along in their quest for truth. The apostle is not suggesting that it is impossible for the child of God to sin (cf. ), The Expositors Bible Commentary: Matthew, Mark, Luke (Vol. Wheres the victory? And because of their unbelief, he couldnt do any miracles among them except to place his hands on a few sick people and heal them. You now have to make a decision. Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers, NT Gospels: Matthew 13:58 He didn't do many mighty works there (Matt. And He could do no miracle there except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them. The inspired writer notes that Jesus was astonished at their unbelief.. While Mary is honored as being blessed with the privilege of being Jesus mother, she was and is a normal human with a sinful nature in need of a savior. It is your decision, what will you do? A surprising psalm changed my view on Gods presence during seasons of trial. They find excuse after excuse to discount Christianity and use a variety of smoke screens to hide the real reason for their unwillingness to believe the clear and demanding claims and promises of Christ. The bottom line is, there was no faith, so in this instance, he didnt. Again, people wanted to see a sign from heaven, and their requests for a miracle emerged from a severe lack of faiththey did not believe Jesus was who he said he was, and they would not believe him unless the God of the universe did what they asked, right then and there. Jesus Brought Relief. But I say to you in truth, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the sky was shut up for three years and six months, when a great famine came over all the land; Quite right, they were broken off for their unbelief, but you stand by your faith. And he did not there many miracles because of their unbelief. In the parable of the sower, we found that some of the seed of the gospel landed alongside the road where those who heard did not understand it and what was sown was quickly snatched away by the evil one. Jesus had in effect pronounced a curse on Capernaum, and when He left there, that citys doom was confirmed. New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised Catholic Edition, New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition, New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition, Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition.
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