Unbelief or Faith
This is the text I wrote for the sermon I gave today at my home church. I preached off of notes based from this text, but wondered off script several times. I actually think the sermon I gave is much better than this, but unless I missed the stenographer in the pews, this will have to serve as the hysterical record.
Today’s lesson begins right where last week’s lesson ended. Jesus has healed the woman who had been bleeding for twelve years and restored to life the daughter of Jarius. Now Jesus and his Apostles are coming back to Jesus’ hometown. Jesus goes into the synagogue in his hometown; we are assuming it is Nazareth. He begins to teach, and amazes the people who knew him. They are astonished; “Where did he learn all of this? How can he do this?” We know little about Jesus’ childhood, and learn nothing from Mark’s Gospel. In Mark’s Gospel, the first time we meet Jesus is when he is being prepared to be baptized by John the Baptizer. But we do learn some things about him from this lesson. For Jesus to be able to teach in the synagogue, he must have been trained and taught the Torah and the Scriptures. So we know he was taught, and we know the people in his hometown know he was taught. They must also have known some of what Jesus had done as a part of his fledgling ministry. They comment about the miracles he has done. They must have heard about his healings; when he came home from Capernaum in chapter two, crowds surrounded his home. They remarked, “What deeds of power are being done by his hands?” (Mark 6.2)
They had problems reconciling the little boy Jesus they knew, the kid from the neighborhood with this grown man, this scholar, healer and miracle maker. They remember this common kid, how is it possible he can do all of these remarkable things? They doubt him because they know him. They know what they expect people from Nazareth, and Jesus is not it. Someone from the boondocks of Nazareth shouldn’t be teaching and healing and performing miracles. This is a common kid with a common family and a common background. “Is not this the worker, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon?” This is just a common person, a common worker. The word usually translated as carpenter is actually a more general term for a worker. Given the area around Nazareth was not heavily forested, there probably was not much wood around there. It is more probable that Jesus, and his father Joseph, were workers, common laborers rather than carpenters. Workers come from Nazareth, not miracle workers. People who work for profit, not prophets. That isn’t what people from around here can do. Here in this rundown town, this forgotten area, nothing good can come. There’s nothing special about this place.
The reception from Jesus’ family is even worse. Earlier in Mark’s Gospel, in chapter 3, Jesus came near to his hometown. His mother and his brothers came to take him away. They thought, as did the experts who came from Jerusalem, that Jesus was able to do these powerful things only because he must be either possessed or crazy. Neither are compliments from your family. It is one thing to be rejected by your neighbors; it is another to be rejected by your family. It is yet another thing to have them come to get you and drag you away. Jesus rejected them and sent them away. Now that he has come home, how do they respond? In Mark 3(.31), Jesus is told his mother and brothers are calling to meet him. But who is in the synagogue when he comes home to teach? “Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon, and are not his sisters here with us?” It is his sisters. They are specifically mentioned as being “here with us.” His mother and brothers are named, but it seems as though they are not there, especially in comparison to his sisters. But that makes sense, Jesus rejected them and sent them away when they came to him, so they decided not to come to see him. Jesus’ own family is unsure about him. They do not know how he is able to do these miraculous things he has been doing. How can he be capable of this?
The doubt of his family, his friends and his neighbors affects Jesus. He says that prophets are honored everywhere, except in their hometown, and among his family and in his own home. He says the people who know a prophet best will not listen to the message they proclaim and will not accept the things they do. It is hard for someone who has known you for a long time to see you in a different light, to see you from a new perspective.
Think of your friends and family, just focus in on one person. What is the first image that comes to mind? How old is that image? Is it from a long time ago? Is from before a significant event in that person’s life? Is it when you were in a positive or favorable position? Does it hold that person in a bad, or non-positive way? Is that image of that person when they were at less than their best?
Does that image prevent you from seeing that person in a different way? Will they always be “your child,” “your little brother or sister” or someone who may not be able to move beyond that role? Besides holding them back in your mind, you may be holding them back because they know you do not believe in them. The doubt the people of Nazareth had about Jesus affected him. “He was amazed at their unbelief … and he could do no deed of power there.” (Mark 6.6, 5)
The people of Nazareth did not have faith in Jesus because they could not understand how Jesus was able to do these incredible teachings, these works of power, these miraculous things. This is the first time Jesus encounters unbelief. Before this, people were coming to him, seeking his power and wisdom. Now, his hometown, his neighbors, his family have doubted him, wondering how. Maybe wondering why him? How can he do this? Why is he so special?
Their unbelief affects what Jesus can do. “He could do no deed of power there … except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and cured them.” (Mark 6.5) Jesus was still able to heal people, despite the doubts of his family and neighbors. Think about what Mark is telling us; he does not consider healings to be a miracle. People are capable of doing whatever they think they can do, but if you doubt them, you may be projecting your doubt onto them, and cause them to begin to doubt themselves.
After failing to be believed in his hometown, Jesus and the Apostles moved onto nearby villages, continuing to teach and preach his message. After a while, Jesus called for the Twelve to come to him and gave them instructions on how to go out and spread his message throughout the Galilean countryside. This actually is how we come up with the term Apostles (avposte,llein which means the sent out ones). Jesus gave them very detailed instructions. They were to take no money, no spare clothes or any food. They were only to take a walking staff and their sandals. When you find a place that accepts you, stay there until it is time to move on. If you are not accepted, shake off the dust and move on.
Does anyone remember learning this verse using the King James translation? Is there something missing? The King James Version includes this additional phrase: “Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorra in the Day of Judgment, than for that city.” (Mark 6.11 KJV) It is an incredibly strong condemnation of those who do not accept the Gospel. It is frightening in its harshness. But it is not in the original Greek text written by Mark. It is in the passages about the sending of the Apostles in Matthew’s and Luke’s Gospels, but not in Mark’s. It was added by the people who created the King James translation to make the three Gospels become more unified. But each of the Gospels tells its own story of the life and ministry of Jesus Christ. I think it is important for each Gospel to be read on it’s own, because each tells its own story. Mark does not tell of the birth of Christ; as I mentioned earlier, we first encounter Jesus as he is about to be baptized. Already three times in the first 6 chapters, Jesus has come back to his hometown. Each time he is questioned and doubted. He has to deal with those who do not believe that he can do the things he is doing. He does not condemn those who do not believe in him; else he would be condemning his brothers and sisters. He would be condemning his own mother. This is not the action of Jesus in Mark’s Gospel. The other gospels do not discuss his family, other than his mother asking him to turn water into wine for a wedding. In those gospels, it is clear that Mary knows her son is capable of doing works of power.
Mark’s Gospel does not have a condemnation of those who do hear and do not immediately believe. Jesus commands the Apostles to try, and if you do not succeed, try again somewhere else. Now if someone hears the Gospel and rejects it that will be recalled. The dust that is shaken off will be a testimony against you. It will be recalled, just as all of times we sin will be recounted on the Last Day. But hearing the Good News of Jesus Christ is not a one-time event. If you try to share the Gospel with someone, telling them about the ministry, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and they do not want to listen, you should shake off that attempt and move on. You can try again … and again. They will hear the Message of Christ when it is the time and place for them to receive it. We can only try to be the instrument through which God’s will shall be done.
I can empathize with the Apostles as I grow close to my time as a “sent out one.” In four weeks, I begin my internship. Luckily, I get to take more than just a staff and a pair of sandals. That’s why I will be going back to Gettysburg in a couple of weeks, to pack up my apartment to take my books and furniture and other stuff with me.
I do not know if I will be as successful as the Apostles. Their results are not recorded. I do not know if I will be able out cast out demons and heal the sick. I will call for people to repent, or radically reorient their lives, to learn from, listen to and love our Lord, Jesus Christ.
But that is the same thing you do every day of your lives, ever since your baptism. You are sharing the Gospel of Christ by what you do and how you live you lives every day, as you live as a sent out one. As modern day Apostles, you and I have been sent out to call people to repent and return to Christ’s teachings. We are to share with the love of God and what that love has meant for us in our lives.
The difference between the two parts of today’s Gospel is on how the people reacted to Jesus. The people of Nazareth acted with unbelief. The Apostles acted out of faith.
What is your attitude on the day or on people or on events? Is it one of unbelief or of faith? Do you close yourself off to the power of God, or are you open to the possibilities. Do you live a life of unbelief or faith?
Because we are flawed people, sinful people, totally incapable of saving ourselves, we probably find ourselves straddling that line, crossing over from faith to unbelief several times a day. We have faith, and we doubt, often at the same time. We live lives that can be summed up in the words of a father later in Mark’s Gospel. The father comes to Jesus, begging Jesus to heal his son. The man says, “I believe. Help me with my unbelief.” God knows we struggle with our faith. God knows we want to share our faith with others, but we struggle because our faith is not perfect. That’s why we have Mark’s Gospel, full of people who see, but do not understand, or who question. Our faith will always be insufficient for our salvation. But that is fortunate, because our salvation is not dependant upon our faith. We can trust on the one who is always faithful, even when we have moments of unbelief. We rely on the one who was faithful, even to a death on a cross.
In our times of unbelief, when we struggle, we can always call to him; just as the Psalmist does in today’s Psalm:
I look up toward you, the one enthroned in heaven. Look, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master, as the eyes of a female servant look to the hand of her mistress, so my eyes will look to the LORD, our God, until he shows us favor. Show us favor, O LORD, show us favor! For we have had our fill of humiliation, and then some. We have had our fill of the taunts of the self-assured, of the contempt of the proud. (Psalm 123)
Today’s lesson begins right where last week’s lesson ended. Jesus has healed the woman who had been bleeding for twelve years and restored to life the daughter of Jarius. Now Jesus and his Apostles are coming back to Jesus’ hometown. Jesus goes into the synagogue in his hometown; we are assuming it is Nazareth. He begins to teach, and amazes the people who knew him. They are astonished; “Where did he learn all of this? How can he do this?” We know little about Jesus’ childhood, and learn nothing from Mark’s Gospel. In Mark’s Gospel, the first time we meet Jesus is when he is being prepared to be baptized by John the Baptizer. But we do learn some things about him from this lesson. For Jesus to be able to teach in the synagogue, he must have been trained and taught the Torah and the Scriptures. So we know he was taught, and we know the people in his hometown know he was taught. They must also have known some of what Jesus had done as a part of his fledgling ministry. They comment about the miracles he has done. They must have heard about his healings; when he came home from Capernaum in chapter two, crowds surrounded his home. They remarked, “What deeds of power are being done by his hands?” (Mark 6.2)
They had problems reconciling the little boy Jesus they knew, the kid from the neighborhood with this grown man, this scholar, healer and miracle maker. They remember this common kid, how is it possible he can do all of these remarkable things? They doubt him because they know him. They know what they expect people from Nazareth, and Jesus is not it. Someone from the boondocks of Nazareth shouldn’t be teaching and healing and performing miracles. This is a common kid with a common family and a common background. “Is not this the worker, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon?” This is just a common person, a common worker. The word usually translated as carpenter is actually a more general term for a worker. Given the area around Nazareth was not heavily forested, there probably was not much wood around there. It is more probable that Jesus, and his father Joseph, were workers, common laborers rather than carpenters. Workers come from Nazareth, not miracle workers. People who work for profit, not prophets. That isn’t what people from around here can do. Here in this rundown town, this forgotten area, nothing good can come. There’s nothing special about this place.
The reception from Jesus’ family is even worse. Earlier in Mark’s Gospel, in chapter 3, Jesus came near to his hometown. His mother and his brothers came to take him away. They thought, as did the experts who came from Jerusalem, that Jesus was able to do these powerful things only because he must be either possessed or crazy. Neither are compliments from your family. It is one thing to be rejected by your neighbors; it is another to be rejected by your family. It is yet another thing to have them come to get you and drag you away. Jesus rejected them and sent them away. Now that he has come home, how do they respond? In Mark 3(.31), Jesus is told his mother and brothers are calling to meet him. But who is in the synagogue when he comes home to teach? “Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon, and are not his sisters here with us?” It is his sisters. They are specifically mentioned as being “here with us.” His mother and brothers are named, but it seems as though they are not there, especially in comparison to his sisters. But that makes sense, Jesus rejected them and sent them away when they came to him, so they decided not to come to see him. Jesus’ own family is unsure about him. They do not know how he is able to do these miraculous things he has been doing. How can he be capable of this?
The doubt of his family, his friends and his neighbors affects Jesus. He says that prophets are honored everywhere, except in their hometown, and among his family and in his own home. He says the people who know a prophet best will not listen to the message they proclaim and will not accept the things they do. It is hard for someone who has known you for a long time to see you in a different light, to see you from a new perspective.
Think of your friends and family, just focus in on one person. What is the first image that comes to mind? How old is that image? Is it from a long time ago? Is from before a significant event in that person’s life? Is it when you were in a positive or favorable position? Does it hold that person in a bad, or non-positive way? Is that image of that person when they were at less than their best?
Does that image prevent you from seeing that person in a different way? Will they always be “your child,” “your little brother or sister” or someone who may not be able to move beyond that role? Besides holding them back in your mind, you may be holding them back because they know you do not believe in them. The doubt the people of Nazareth had about Jesus affected him. “He was amazed at their unbelief … and he could do no deed of power there.” (Mark 6.6, 5)
The people of Nazareth did not have faith in Jesus because they could not understand how Jesus was able to do these incredible teachings, these works of power, these miraculous things. This is the first time Jesus encounters unbelief. Before this, people were coming to him, seeking his power and wisdom. Now, his hometown, his neighbors, his family have doubted him, wondering how. Maybe wondering why him? How can he do this? Why is he so special?
Their unbelief affects what Jesus can do. “He could do no deed of power there … except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and cured them.” (Mark 6.5) Jesus was still able to heal people, despite the doubts of his family and neighbors. Think about what Mark is telling us; he does not consider healings to be a miracle. People are capable of doing whatever they think they can do, but if you doubt them, you may be projecting your doubt onto them, and cause them to begin to doubt themselves.
After failing to be believed in his hometown, Jesus and the Apostles moved onto nearby villages, continuing to teach and preach his message. After a while, Jesus called for the Twelve to come to him and gave them instructions on how to go out and spread his message throughout the Galilean countryside. This actually is how we come up with the term Apostles (avposte,llein which means the sent out ones). Jesus gave them very detailed instructions. They were to take no money, no spare clothes or any food. They were only to take a walking staff and their sandals. When you find a place that accepts you, stay there until it is time to move on. If you are not accepted, shake off the dust and move on.
Does anyone remember learning this verse using the King James translation? Is there something missing? The King James Version includes this additional phrase: “Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorra in the Day of Judgment, than for that city.” (Mark 6.11 KJV) It is an incredibly strong condemnation of those who do not accept the Gospel. It is frightening in its harshness. But it is not in the original Greek text written by Mark. It is in the passages about the sending of the Apostles in Matthew’s and Luke’s Gospels, but not in Mark’s. It was added by the people who created the King James translation to make the three Gospels become more unified. But each of the Gospels tells its own story of the life and ministry of Jesus Christ. I think it is important for each Gospel to be read on it’s own, because each tells its own story. Mark does not tell of the birth of Christ; as I mentioned earlier, we first encounter Jesus as he is about to be baptized. Already three times in the first 6 chapters, Jesus has come back to his hometown. Each time he is questioned and doubted. He has to deal with those who do not believe that he can do the things he is doing. He does not condemn those who do not believe in him; else he would be condemning his brothers and sisters. He would be condemning his own mother. This is not the action of Jesus in Mark’s Gospel. The other gospels do not discuss his family, other than his mother asking him to turn water into wine for a wedding. In those gospels, it is clear that Mary knows her son is capable of doing works of power.
Mark’s Gospel does not have a condemnation of those who do hear and do not immediately believe. Jesus commands the Apostles to try, and if you do not succeed, try again somewhere else. Now if someone hears the Gospel and rejects it that will be recalled. The dust that is shaken off will be a testimony against you. It will be recalled, just as all of times we sin will be recounted on the Last Day. But hearing the Good News of Jesus Christ is not a one-time event. If you try to share the Gospel with someone, telling them about the ministry, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and they do not want to listen, you should shake off that attempt and move on. You can try again … and again. They will hear the Message of Christ when it is the time and place for them to receive it. We can only try to be the instrument through which God’s will shall be done.
I can empathize with the Apostles as I grow close to my time as a “sent out one.” In four weeks, I begin my internship. Luckily, I get to take more than just a staff and a pair of sandals. That’s why I will be going back to Gettysburg in a couple of weeks, to pack up my apartment to take my books and furniture and other stuff with me.
I do not know if I will be as successful as the Apostles. Their results are not recorded. I do not know if I will be able out cast out demons and heal the sick. I will call for people to repent, or radically reorient their lives, to learn from, listen to and love our Lord, Jesus Christ.
But that is the same thing you do every day of your lives, ever since your baptism. You are sharing the Gospel of Christ by what you do and how you live you lives every day, as you live as a sent out one. As modern day Apostles, you and I have been sent out to call people to repent and return to Christ’s teachings. We are to share with the love of God and what that love has meant for us in our lives.
The difference between the two parts of today’s Gospel is on how the people reacted to Jesus. The people of Nazareth acted with unbelief. The Apostles acted out of faith.
What is your attitude on the day or on people or on events? Is it one of unbelief or of faith? Do you close yourself off to the power of God, or are you open to the possibilities. Do you live a life of unbelief or faith?
Because we are flawed people, sinful people, totally incapable of saving ourselves, we probably find ourselves straddling that line, crossing over from faith to unbelief several times a day. We have faith, and we doubt, often at the same time. We live lives that can be summed up in the words of a father later in Mark’s Gospel. The father comes to Jesus, begging Jesus to heal his son. The man says, “I believe. Help me with my unbelief.” God knows we struggle with our faith. God knows we want to share our faith with others, but we struggle because our faith is not perfect. That’s why we have Mark’s Gospel, full of people who see, but do not understand, or who question. Our faith will always be insufficient for our salvation. But that is fortunate, because our salvation is not dependant upon our faith. We can trust on the one who is always faithful, even when we have moments of unbelief. We rely on the one who was faithful, even to a death on a cross.
In our times of unbelief, when we struggle, we can always call to him; just as the Psalmist does in today’s Psalm:
I look up toward you, the one enthroned in heaven. Look, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master, as the eyes of a female servant look to the hand of her mistress, so my eyes will look to the LORD, our God, until he shows us favor. Show us favor, O LORD, show us favor! For we have had our fill of humiliation, and then some. We have had our fill of the taunts of the self-assured, of the contempt of the proud. (Psalm 123)
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