-February 27, 2023-
Good morning, happy Monday,
“Now He could do mighty work there, except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them. And He marveled because of their unbelief. Then He went about the villages in a circuit, teaching.”
(Mark 6:5-6).
What a sad and disappointing day for Jesus. All throughout Galilee, Judea, and even in Samaria, there were droves of people who flocked to Him, followed Him, and received His message gladly. But not so in Nazareth, His hometown. Instead, the people rejected Him. They questioned His credentials, citing and their familiarity with Him and His family. Mark 6:1-6 describes what happened in agonizing detail. At the end of verse 3, Mark writes, “So they were offended at Him.”
Jesus said in verse 4, “…A prophet is not without honor except in his own country, among his own relatives, and in his own house.” This principle is still true today, we get some of the worse responses to the gospel from those in our own household and among those who are most familiar with us. John 7:5 says, “For even His brothers did not believe in Him.” It must have stung His heart so much. Later, however two of His half-brothers, Jude and James believed in Him and wrote books in the NT bearing their names. They we’re committed followers of Christ as Lord of their lives.
Unbelief is the opposite of faith. In fact, it goes beyond doubt, and entrenches itself in rejection. Worse yet, it hinders the work of the Lord. We notice how Jesus marveled because of their unbelief! He could do no mighty work there except to heal a few sick people. How tragic! It doesn’t surprise us when unbelief rears its ugly head among atheists, agnostics, and other unbelievers; but when it happens in our lives it is far worse. We know Jesus, who is the truth. We have seen what He has done in our lives. This happened with many of the Israelites in the wilderness, and because of it, God struck them. Everyone of them who left Egypt died in the wilderness and never saw the Promised Land. The only exceptions were Joshua and Caleb.
Let us believe and not entertain this unwelcome guest of unbelief. The writer of Hebrews gave wrote this solemn warning in Hebrews 3:12, “Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from living God; but exhort one another daily, while it is called ‘Today,’ lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.” Instead of a hardened heart, we need a soft and tender one, and instead of a stiffened neck, we need a bowed one to our Savior. Hebrews 11:6 says, “Without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.”
Have blessed day walking by faith without doubting or unbelief. Stay safe and healthy.
Building strong walls of impenetrable faith,
Dean
Dean Allen's Daily Devotional 