Come, kneel before the Lord our Maker
Mark 6:
1 Soon afterwards Jesus left that section of the country and returned with his disciples to Nazareth, his hometown.
2 The next Sabbath he went to the synagogue to teach, and the people were astonished at his wisdom and his miracles because he was just a local man like themselves.
"He's no better than we are," they said.
3 "He's just a carpenter, Mary's boy, and a brother of James and Joseph, Judas and Simon. And his sisters live right here among us."
And they were offended!
4 Then Jesus told them,
"A prophet is honored everywhere except in his hometown and among his relatives and by his own family."
5 And because of their unbelief he couldn't do any mighty miracles among them except to place his hands on a few sick people and heal them.
6 And he could hardly accept the fact that they wouldn't believe in him.
Then he went out among the villages, teaching. (Living Bible)
The response of the people in Nazareth to Lord Jesus Christ, is typical of the response of those who have been around during the childhood and youth of someone who then distinguishes Himself.
The people in Nazareth had heard about the miracles Jesus had done in Capernaum and when He came home to minister to those in His home town, and reached out to them with His love, He couldn't believe that their attitude was so negative and hard-hearted.
They said:
He's just a local person - like any of us
He's no better than we are!
He's merely the carpenter
Just Mary's boy
We know his brothers and sisters
Who does He think He is?!
This is what happens many times to those who leave a small community where they've grown up, and who have gone on the distinguish themselves in the outside world.
When such people return home, the response can be mean-spirited, as seen in this encounter.
This can happen to those who may be the first to finish high school, or the first to graduate from university; or the first to get a better paying job than others.
It may even happen to those who are the first to get married, in a community where common-law living has been the norm for many generations.
Anyone who seems to distinguish themselves above those they grew up with, can be attacked by this heavily negative attitude.
However, when anyone takes this kind of attitude to the Lord Jesus Christ, they are blighting their own life.
There have been several prominent people in history who have boasted publicly that the Lord Jesus is in no way greater than they are; and they are certain that the Lord Jesus is no more divine than they are,
and the lives of all these scoffers have ended prematurely!
Psalm 95 gives us this warning:
6 Come, kneel before the Lord our Maker,
7 for he is our God. We are his sheep, and he is our Shepherd.
Oh, that you would hear him calling you today and come to him!
8 Don't harden your hearts as Israel did in the wilderness at Meribah and Massah.
9 For there your fathers doubted me, though they had seen so many of my miracles before.
My patience was severely tried by their complaints.
10 "For forty years I watched them in disgust," the Lord God says. "They were a nation whose thoughts and heart were far away from me. They refused to accept my laws.
11 Therefore, in mighty wrath I swore that they would never enter the Promised Land, the place of rest I planned for them." (Living Bible)
It is unwise to be offended at the status of the Lord Jesus Christ. That level of unbelief and offence robs us massively of the blessing, protection and favour of God.
Indeed, it opens our life up to evil and misfortune of every kind. We get left behind where understanding of spiritual truth is concerned and we open our life up to spiritual darkness, deception and lies.
Worst of all, it robs us of the peace and joy of the Lord in our life and we go around confused, burdened and having to find our own way in life.
This is not life in all its fullness. Nor is it what God has planned for any human being!
Prayer:
Heavenly Father,
if there is any hint of negativity and hard-heartedness toward You in me,
please rescue me from this as I bow before You and submit my heart, will and purpose to You today.
I thank You that the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ has made it possible for me to escape from premature death, deception, confusion, lies and destruction.
I believe in my heart and speak with my mouth that the Lord Jesus Christ is the Saviour and Lord and Master of my life!
Amen.
