19

Amazing Unbelief
(Mark 6:1–6)

Jesus went out from there and came into His hometown; and His disciples followed Him. When the Sabbath came, He began to teach in the synagogue; and the many listeners were astonished, saying, “Where did this man get these things, and what is this wisdom given to Him, and such miracles as these performed by His hands? Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? Are not His sisters here with us?” And they took offense at Him. Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown and among his own relatives and in his own household.” And He could do no miracle there except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them. And He wondered at their unbelief. And He was going around the villages teaching. (6:1–6)

Though people were constantly astonished by Jesus, the New Testament relates only two times when He was amazed by people. Both involved faith. On the positive side, Jesus marveled at the strong faith expressed by a Roman centurion in Capernaum. According to Luke 7:9, “When Jesus heard this, He marveled at him, and turned and said to the crowd that was following Him, ‘I say to you, not even in Israel have I found such great faith.’” Conversely, in His hometown of Nazareth, it was the utter absence of faith that caused the Lord to be amazed. As Mark explained in this passage, “He wondered at their unbelief” (Mark 6:6).

Unbelief is a powerful force with devastating ramifications, first in this life and then the next. In the garden of Eden, Satan tempted Eve to doubt God’s clear instruction, and she ate from the forbidden tree (cf. Gen. 3:1–7; 1 Tim. 2:14). The people of Noah’s day refused to believe his warning, and they were subsequently drowned in the flood (cf. Matt. 24:38–39; 2 Peter 2:5; 3:3–6). After the exodus from Egypt, the faithlessness of Aaron, embodied in the form of a golden calf, resulted in three thousand people being slaughtered (cf. Ex. 32:28, 35). The fear-laden doubt of the ten spies, representative of the nation of Israel, caused that entire generation to die in the wilderness (Num. 13:32; 14:20–23; cf. 1 Cor. 10:1–10). Achan’s unbelief—expressed in greed, theft, and an attempted cover-up—brought about the execution of his entire family (Josh. 7:25). Even after settling in the Promised Land, the recurring apostasy and unbelief of the Israelites brought about God’s repeated judgment (cf. Judg. 2:7–11).

Paradoxically, the Jewish religious leaders portrayed in the New Testament exhibited that same level of unbelief in their response to Jesus. As Stephen told the Sanhedrin,

Like all other unbelievers, their hard-heartedness resulted in them dying in their sins and forfeiting heaven (cf. John 8:24). Unbelief in the Son of God activates divine wrath and catapults souls into eternal hell. In the familiar words of John 3:18, “He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God” (cf. John 8:24).

This passage (Mark 6:1–6) comes on the heels of several significant miracles performed by Jesus. In Mark 4:35–41, He instantly calmed a violent storm on the Sea of Galilee. The next day, on the eastern shore of the lake, He cast a legion of demons into a herd of pigs (5:1–20). Returning to Capernaum (5:21–24), Jesus healed a woman who had suffered from incessant bleeding for more than a decade (5:25–34). He then raised the twelve-year-old daughter of Jairus back to life (5:35–43). Mesmerized by His teaching and astounded by His miracles, the crowds in Galilee generally responded to Jesus with an attitude of enthusiasm. Their astonished curiosity about Him, however, fell far short of saving faith (cf. John 2:24; 6:66).

Of course, the popular excitement of the crowds stood in stark contrast to the open hostility of the Pharisees and scribes, who hated Jesus and were already plotting to kill Him (Mark 3:6; cf. Matt. 12:14). Instead of attributing His supernatural power to God, they accused Him of being empowered by Satan (3:22). Jealous of His popularity, and incensed by His opposition to their hypocrisy and tradition, the Pharisees hounded Him everywhere He went. They were even willing to join forces with their political enemies, the Herodians (3:6) and Sadducees (John 11:47–53), to bring about His death.

At this point in Jesus’ ministry, the religious leaders’ attitude of outright rejection was not shared by most of the people. As Jesus traveled throughout the cities and towns of Galilee (cf. Matt. 4:23; 9:35; Mark 1:39), He was generally received favorably. There was one notable exception: His own hometown of Nazareth. The residents of Nazareth knew Jesus only as a local carpenter who had grown up and lived in their small community for the better part of three decades (cf. Mark 1:9, 24; 10:47; 14:67; 16:6). Joseph and Mary had moved to Nazareth after they returned from Egypt when Jesus was still a baby (cf. Matt. 2:23; Luke 2:39). He had grown up there, progressing through the stages of youth to adulthood (Luke 2:40). Though He had been catapulted onto the public scene after beginning His public ministry around age thirty, His former neighbors still viewed Him as nothing more than the oldest son of a familiar family from their village.

The trip to Nazareth recorded in this passage (6:1–6; cf. Matt. 13:54–58) was Jesus’ second recorded visit to His hometown since the start of His public ministry. His first visit occurred shortly after His temptations in the wilderness (cf. Luke 4:1–13). As Luke records, “Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit; … And He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up; and as was His custom, He entered the synagogue on the Sabbath, and stood up to read” (Luke 4:14a, 16). Jesus would have been very familiar to the people attending the synagogue that day, since they had known Him since He was a child. To them, He was an ordinary member of their small-town community. Yet, that Sabbath day would prove to be far from ordinary.

It was customary for traveling rabbis to be invited to the local synagogue to read the Scriptures and address the congregation. Because word about Jesus had been spreading, the people of Nazareth were undoubtedly eager to hear Him preach. After reading a messianic passage from Isaiah 61:1–2, Jesus told His familiar friends and neighbors, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing” (Luke 4:21). The implication was clear. He was claiming to be the Messiah. Initially, the congregation’s response seemed fairly positive: “All were speaking well of Him, and wondering at the gracious words which were falling from His lips; and they were saying, ‘Is this not Joseph’s son?’” (v. 22). But Jesus knew their hearts (cf. John 2:24). He recognized their response for what it was—a superficial desire to see Him perform miracles (cf. Luke 4:23). When Jesus rebuked their faithlessness and hypocrisy, comparing them to the apostate generation of Israelites who lived during the days of Elijah and Elisha (vv. 25–27), they reacted by revealing the true condition of their hearts. “All the people in the synagogue were filled with rage as they heard these things; and they got up and drove Him out of the city, and led Him to the brow of the hill on which their city had been built, in order to throw Him down the cliff” (vv. 28–29). After just one sermon, people who had known Jesus very well were so incensed by His message they turned into a mob, wanting to murder Him. But He escaped, as Luke reports, and “passing through their midst, He went His way” (v. 30).

Months passed before Jesus decided to return to Nazareth for a second and final time. Leaving Capernaum, Jesus went out from there and came into His hometown. Up to this point, Capernaum had been the headquarters of Jesus’ Galilean ministry. From this point forward, that was no longer the case. The residents of the city had received more than enough revelation to believe and, therefore, to be responsible for rejecting Him (cf. Matt. 2:23). Moreover, the hostility of the Jewish religious leaders and the proximity of Herod’s palace, situated in nearby Tiberias, made it too dangerous for Him to stay in Capernaum for prolonged periods of time.

Nazareth, located twenty-five miles southwest of Capernaum, was an insignificant village in Jesus’ day with a population of around five hundred inhabitants. It was so obscure that it is never mentioned in either the Old Testament or the Jewish Talmud. Yet, it had been the Lord’s hometown for almost three decades. The fact that His disciples followed Him indicates that this was not a private family visit but was intended for public ministry. As part of their own ministry training (cf. 6:7–13), the disciples would be exposed to the hard-hearted rejection that characterizes unbelievers.

The response of the Nazarenes to Jesus reveals four truths about the pernicious nature of unbelief: it obscures the obvious, elevates the irrelevant, assaults the messenger, and spurns the supernatural.

UNBELIEF OBSCURES THE OBVIOUS

When the Sabbath came, He began to teach in the synagogue; and the many listeners were astonished, saying, “Where did this man get these things, and what is this wisdom given to Him, and such miracles as these performed by His hands? (6:2)

Despite their violent response to Jesus during His previous visit, when the Sabbath came the residents of Nazareth invited Him to teach in the synagogue. His growing popularity throughout Galilee no doubt made them curious to hear Him again. On a human level, they knew Him very well. They also were fully aware that, since leaving Nazareth to begin preaching and performing miracles, He had caused wonder and amazement throughout Israel. Though they did not attempt to kill Jesus on this occasion, as they had on the first (cf. Luke 4:29), their unbelieving disposition toward Him had not changed.

As the Lord Jesus taught, the many listeners were astonished. Unlike the meandering rambling of the rabbis, the Lord’s teaching was authoritative (Matt. 7:28–29), knowledgeable (John 7:15–16), powerful (Luke 4:32 KJV), and unmatched (John 7:46). Understandably, the response of the congregation was utter amazement. The Greek word astonished (ekplessō) means “to strike” or “to blast.” To use the vernacular, Jesus’ teaching was “mind-blowing” for those who heard. (For more on the astonishing nature of the Lord’s teaching, see chapter 4 in this volume.)

Yet, the amazement of the audience did not lead them to put their faith in Him as Lord and Messiah. Instead, they hardened their hearts in continued rejection. Rather than recognizing the obvious—that Jesus was empowered by God—the residents of Nazareth questioned the source of His supernatural wisdom and power, saying, “Where did this man get these things, and what is this wisdom given to Him, and such miracles as these performed by His hands?” The residents of Nazareth knew He had never been trained to become a rabbi (cf. John 7:15). Yet, His teaching was characterized by unparalleled clarity, veracity, and profundity so that it stunned even the most learned scribes of the day (cf. Mark 11:18; Luke 2:47). Their experience with Him left them dumbfounded.

In reality, the words (wisdom) and works (miracles) of Jesus proved objectively, beyond any reasonable doubt, that He was from God. The fact that His teaching captivated the hearts and minds of the people (cf. Matt. 7:28; 22:33; Mark 1:22; Luke 4:32) filled the proud, false religious leaders with envy and dismay. As Luke 19:47–48 reports, at a later point in Jesus’ ministry: “He was teaching daily in the temple; but the chief priests and the scribes and the leading men among the people were trying to destroy Him, and they could not find anything that they might do, for all the people were hanging on to every word He said.” Jesus’ miracles, likewise, were undeniable manifestations of divine power, as He restored to full health those who were leprous (Mark 1:40), paralyzed (2:3), deaf (7:32), blind (10:46), demon-possessed (5:2), and even dead (5:35). Jesus’ former neighbors had obviously heard of His many miracles, as reports about Him circulated throughout Galilee and the surrounding regions (cf. Matt. 4:24; 9:26, 31; 14:1; Mark 1:28, 45; 6:14; Luke 4:14, 37; 5:15). Such dramatic demonstrations of supernatural power confirmed His deity. As Nicodemus rightly observed, “No one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him” (John 3:2). The Lord Himself directed His critics to examine His miracles: “If I do not do the works of My Father, do not believe Me; but if I do them, though you do not believe Me, believe the works, so that you may know and understand that the Father is in Me, and I in the Father” (John 10:37–38). Earlier, He explained to the religious leaders in Jerusalem, “The testimony which I have is greater than the testimony of John; for the works which the Father has given Me to accomplish—the very works that I do—testify about Me, that the Father has sent Me” (John 5:36). Jesus’ enemies knew they could not deny the reality of His miracles (cf. John 11:47). So, instead, they obstinately denied the divine source of His power, alleging that He was actually energized by Beelzebub (cf. Mark 3:22–30).

The residents of Nazareth did not accuse Jesus of being empowered by Satan, but neither were they willing to acknowledge that His power came from God. Their agnosticism and skepticism found its expression in the form of a question: Where did this man get these things? In order to maintain their disbelief, they looked for any explanation other than the obvious one. Like the compact ground alongside the road in the parable of the soils (Mark 4:15), their hearts were impenetrable and hard. They had been given more than enough evidence; yet they obstinately refused to believe in Him (cf. John 3:18–20).

UNBELIEF ELEVATES THE IRRELEVANT

“Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? Are not His sisters here with us?” (6:3a)

Rather than embracing the obvious, Jesus’ former neighbors focused on the irrelevant, throwing up a smoke screen of unrelated information to justify their unbelief. Though they were admittedly astonished by His teaching and amazed by the reports of His miracles, they refused to believe that Jesus was Lord and Savior. They were appalled that a homegrown laborer from their village—a common craftsman with no specialized theological education or religious credentials—would claim to be the long-awaited Messiah of God (cf. Luke 4:18–21).

In keeping with their attitude of incredulity, they raised issues that were irrelevant to the question at hand. It was true that Jesus was a carpenter by trade, the firstborn son of Mary, and the half brother of His siblings. But those details were not germane to the issue of His messiahship. While the first-century Jews had many misconceptions about the Messiah’s coming, they nevertheless understood that He would be born as a man, growing up in a Jewish family somewhere in the land of Israel. Rather than embracing Jesus as that promised and proven Messiah, and praising God for choosing their obscure village for such an esteemed honor, the residents of Nazareth responded with resentment, derision, and disbelief.

Is not this the carpenter? they asked in bewilderment. According to Matthew 13:55, they also asked, “Is not this the carpenter’s son?” It was usual for fathers to teach their children to follow their trade. Jesus learned to be a carpenter from Joseph and likely took over the family business after Joseph died. The word translated carpenter (tektōn) is a broad term meaning builder or craftsman. It could refer to a carpenter, stonemason, metalsmith, or shipbuilder. Some early church tradition suggests that Joseph and Jesus specialized in making yokes and plows. Growing up in Nazareth, Jesus had likely crafted many farming implements, and perhaps done other building projects, for His neighbors. Those same people found it hard to believe that a woodworker from their humble hometown who had not previously revealed His divine nature could suddenly exhibit such profundity and power. Though many legends about Jesus’ childhood arose later in church history, claiming that He performed miracles as a boy in Nazareth, they are obviously fabrications. If any of that was factual, the residents of Nazareth would have responded to Him differently. But Jesus’ growing up seemed so ordinary and natural to His neighbors and family friends that they found it impossible to think of Him as possessing divine wisdom and supernatural power.

Additionally, Jesus’ former neighbors pointed out that He was the Son of Mary. This is the only place in the Gospels where Jesus was referred to by that title. The normal Jewish practice identified a son by His father’s name. (In Jesus’ case, they would have used the name of His adopted father, Joseph—cf. Luke 4:22; John 6:42.) Perhaps they referenced Mary because Joseph had already died while Mary was still living in Nazareth. It is also possible that they intended this as an insult, implying that He had been born illegitimately (cf. John 8:41; 9:29); when a man’s father was unknown, he was called the son of his mother. This false accusation is still proffered by some who reject the Lord Jesus Christ.

The people not only knew Jesus was Mary’s oldest son, they also knew He was the brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon. It is likely in that small village that they understood how Jesus’ siblings felt about Him. If so, it would have only added to their incredulity, since at this point “not even His brothers were believing in Him” (John 7:5). His siblings thought He had “lost His senses” (Mark 3:21); their fellow townspeople may have shared that same perspective. It was not until after Jesus’ death and resurrection that His half brothers were added to the church (Acts 1:14; cf. 1 Cor. 15:7). James (whose name is literally Jacob) became the leader of the Jerusalem church (cf. Acts 15:13) and wrote the epistle of James. Judas was also influential in the early church, writing the epistle of Jude. Completing the family picture, the Nazarenes also asked, “Are not His sisters here with us?” The fact that Jesus had multiple siblings exposes the lie of the Roman Catholic doctrine of Mary’s perpetual virginity (cf. Matt. 12:46–47; Luke 2:7; John 7:10; Acts 1:14). As this passage indicates, Mary gave birth to at least six additional children after Jesus was born.

By bringing up His occupation and His family, the people of Nazareth turned irrelevant issues into stumbling blocks to defend their unbelief. They diverted their attention away from the truth in order to justify their rejection of Jesus. They had only known Him as the son of a local carpenter. Thus, they were unwilling to embrace Him for who He truly was: the Son of God.

UNBELIEF ASSAULTS THE MESSENGER

And they took offense at Him. Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown and among his own relatives and in his own household.” (6:3b–4)

Unbelief soon soured the initial amazement of the crowd, and they took offense at Him. The word translated offense (a form of the Greek word skandalizō, from which the English word “scandalize” is derived) means “to snare” or “to cause to stumble” (cf. 1 Cor. 1:23). During His earlier visit to Nazareth, Jesus had similarly offended the people (cf. Luke 4:28) both by claiming to be the Messiah (v. 21) and by confronting their hypocrisy and unbelief (v. 23). On this occasion, the contents of His message in the synagogue are not recorded, but Jesus undoubtedly emphasized truths that were similar to what He taught the first time. Once again, the people were outraged. They could not move past the fact that someone as familiar to them as Jesus would dare to make such an exalted claim or to issue such stern rebukes.

The Lord responded to their anger and resentment by quoting the same well-known proverb He had cited on His previous visit (cf. Luke 4:24). Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown and among his own relatives and in his own household.” This axiomatic truth was the ancient parallel of the contemporary saying, “familiarity breeds contempt.” Jesus used a progression of social circles, from the wider to the narrower, in order to make His point. At this point, no one in his hometown of Nazareth believed in Him. Even within His own family, both among his own relatives and in his own household, only His mother believed (cf. Luke 2:19), though as noted earlier His brothers would later come to saving faith. Many people outside of Nazareth regarded Him as a prophet (cf. Matt. 21:11, 46; Mark 6:15; Luke 7:16; 24:19; John 6:14; 7:40; 9:17), but in his hometown Jesus was rejected with hostility and antagonism. In essence, Jesus’ former neighbors found themselves indignantly asking, “Who does this fellow think He is?” Admittedly, their curiosity was piqued when they heard about how popular He had become since leaving home. Yet, they could not believe their familiar neighbor had the audacity to return and confront them with rebukes while claiming to be the Messiah.

Jesus later warned His disciples that they would similarly face persecution for the sake of the gospel. In many cases, hostility begins at home. As He told them, “Beware of men, for they will hand you over to the courts and scourge you in their synagogues. … For I came to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; and a man’s enemies will be the members of his household” (Matt. 10:17, 35–36). On the night before His death, Jesus reiterated the fact that Christians ought to expect persecution: “If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you. … If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you; if they kept My word, they will keep yours also” (John 15:18, 20).

When they cannot refute His message, unbelievers will not hesitate to attack Him and anyone who speaks for Him. Hemmed in by the truth, they strike back with ridicule, disdain, scorn, and sometimes even violent persecution. The Pharisees and Sadducees ultimately responded to Jesus by resorting to such tactics. Refusing to believe His teaching and miracles but unable to refute His wisdom and power, they devised a plan to silence Him permanently. As John 11:47–53 records,

UNBELIEF SPURNS THE SUPERNATURAL

And He could do no miracle there except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them. And He wondered at their unbelief. And He was going around the villages teaching. (6:5–6)

In response to the people’s unbelief, Jesus chose not to do any miracles in Nazareth, with the exception of a few healings. As Mark explains, “And He could do no miracle there except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them.” The issue was not that He lacked the supernatural power to perform miracles. Rather, there was no reason to do miracles there, since the purpose of His miracles was to attest to the truth and reveal Himself as the Lord and Messiah, and thus to lead sinners to saving faith. Because the people of Nazareth had already set their rejection in stone, miracles were unnecessary.

To remove any false conclusions that Jesus’ ability to do miracles was dependent on the faith of people, He frequently healed people who did not express any faith in Him. For example, in Luke 17:11–19, only one of the ten lepers cured confessed faith in Him and was saved. The crippled man at the pool of Bethesda (John 5:13) did not even know Jesus’ identity when he was healed; the man born blind (John 9:1, 7) did not speak of his faith in Jesus until after he was given sight (v. 38). The demoniacs whom Jesus delivered (cf. Mark 1:23–26; 5:1; cf. Matt. 12:22) also made no profession of faith before being liberated. When Jesus raised people from the dead, He obviously did so without first requiring faith from them (Luke 7:14; John 11:43). Moreover, the Lord healed multitudes of people, even though not all of them believed (cf. Matt. 9:35; 11:2–5; 12:15–21; 14:13–14, 34–36; 15:29–31; 19:2). Clearly, Jesus’ power was not at all diminished by unbelief. Nonetheless, the hard-hearted rejection of Nazareth was such that there was no reason to do any miracles there.

On the one hand, Jesus’ decision was merciful. If He had done additional miracles in Nazareth, their condemnation for rejecting Him would have only increased. Hell would have forever been worse for them. The people of Jesus’ hometown would have been judged like the unrepentant cities of Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum. As Matthew explained:

Still, the Lord’s withholding more miracles was also a sign of judgment (cf. Matt. 7:6). The purpose of miracles was never to entertain the hard-hearted but to move those who were open to the gospel toward saving faith. As Jesus told the Pharisees, “An evil and adulterous generation craves for a sign; and yet no sign shall be given to it but the sign of Jonah the prophet” (Matt. 12:39). His miracles were of no spiritual benefit for those who refused to believe, and He had no interest in indulging ungodly curiosity (cf. Luke 23:8–9).

This shocking and calloused rejection by the people in Nazareth was so fixed that even Jesus wondered at their unbelief. The word wondered indicates that Jesus was jarred by the deep-rooted faithlessness and open hostility He encountered there. For all of His earthly life, He had been the most unique and amazing person in their midst. They did not know why Jesus was different, but they could not have missed the manifestations of His divine perfection. How could those who claimed to know all about Him stubbornly refuse to accept the only reasonable explanation regarding Him, that He was the Son of God? But such is the blinding power of unbelief (cf. 2 Cor. 4:3–4). Once it became clear that Nazareth had rejected Jesus, He rejected them. And He was going around the villages teaching. The Savior left and began a teaching tour in other, more receptive towns in Galilee. For the inhabitants of His hometown, the outcome was horribly and forever tragic. “Ichabod” was written on Nazareth: “the glory has departed” (1 Sam. 4:21–22).