Opposition and Progress (Mark 6:1-13)

It is usual for a city or community to admire a favourite person from their midst who made a mark in the world. Mark here records what Nazareth thought of their most famous inhabitant. Perhaps our surprise at their response should be guided by the assessment of Nathaniel in John 1 when he asked if anything good could come out from Nazareth. Previous to then, Nathaniel had not heard of Jesus, but he was aware of the kind of people who lived there. So we should not be surprised at their failure to appreciate Jesus and his sermon.

Rejection in Nazareth

Some time before this incident, Jesus had left Nazareth to go and live in Capernaum, which was a more central location. Mark does not say why he had left Nazareth, but Luke describes how the people of Nazareth had responded on a previous occasion when Jesus preached to them after his baptism and informed them that he was the promised Messiah. Instead of obeying his message and becoming his followers, they became infuriated with him and attempted to throw him over the side of a cliff (Luke 4:14-30). That was when he left Nazareth and moved to Capernaum. Now he had come back for a visit, perhaps his last.

His listeners in Nazareth had more information about him than was known by other communities. What they say about Jesus is important because their words tell us that he was known as ‘the carpenter’, and that he had four brothers and at least two sisters. The fact that they do not mention Joseph suggests that he had died. There is an obvious application here, which is that we can know a lot about Jesus and yet not know enough. Although they knew such details, they did not accept that he could be their Saviour.

The silence of the family of Jesus is very striking. Does the final question of the people indicate that the family were present in the service (‘And are not his sisters here with us?’)? If they were not present, which would be unusual for a devout Jewish family, then their absence would either be a snub or a decision based on embarrassment. Mark has already mentioned how the family thought Jesus was behaving in a strange way. There is no hint that they offered any support to him at this time. Such a response would be very hard for Jesus because he would have had a strong affection for them. There is an obvious application here as well, which is that Jesus understands what it is like to be rejected by family members.

From the point of view of understanding, aims, clarity and affection for his audience, there is no doubt that Jesus was the best preacher that the world has ever known. There would have been no defects in the content and the delivery of the sermon. Yet although it was such a sermon, there is no mention made of any converts. While we do not know what was said, Mark does give us some details about how it was received. The audience was astonished and they recognised that the Preacher possessed great ability. Yet their unanimous response was to reject Jesus and his message. We are all aware of occasions when sermons have been preached and when there have not been any conversions. There was animosity to Jesus in Nazareth and there will be animosity whenever his message is declared.

Jesus chose on this occasion to repeat his assessment of what had happened in Nazareth when he said that a prophet is not without honour, except among those who know him best. We can see in his words that he was aware of the attitude of his family as well as of the other inhabitants of the town. The example of Jesus tells preachers that it is appropriate to repeat a previous warning. His words also tell us that part of an appropriate response to him is to accept that he is a prophet, indeed the prophet. Who was a prophet? A prophet was a person sent by God to declare his message to a disobedient people. In the case of Jesus, God sent his Son to be the prophet. Jesus declared God’s message faithfully, fully, lovingly, relevantly and clearly. Yet they did not listen to him, and he told them that was so.

The consequence of their rejection of his message was that Jesus did not perform mighty works there apart from a few acts of compassion. Those acts of compassion were indicators that he could have done other mighty works, but those other mighty works were dependent on them becoming his followers. The link is obvious. If we want to know the mighty blessings of salvation we have to become his disciples. Jesus will not work among those who persist in rejecting his message.

Mark gives an unusual insight into the response of Jesus to this rejection when he records that Jesus marvelled because of their unbelief. They had received sufficient privileges in divine providence and instead of being Christ-rejecters they should have become his followers. Here we see the power and effects of unbelief. It blinds people to their need of a Saviour and it blinds them to the fact that the Saviour they need is Jesus. The same response to Jesus as that given in Nazareth by its inhabitants has reappeared in countless other places, and still occurs. Sometimes we wonder if more could have been done by us to make the gospel more successful. More could not have been done in Nazareth, yet even the best Messenger and the best message was rejected there. I wonder what Jesus thinks about the countless places today where informed people reject his message. Nazareth had many privileges, but how many from Nazareth at that time are in heaven today?

Nevertheless, Mark tells us what the response of Jesus was to his rejection. He did not give up declaring his message. Instead he took it elsewhere, perhaps to locations where he had not gone before or perhaps they were places where his word was given a ready hearing (v. 6). The point is that rejection in Nazareth did not cause Jesus to change his message, and we are to imitate his example.

Reaching out to the nation (vv. 7-13)

The time had come when in the estimation of Jesus the disciples had received sufficient training for their role as his ambassadors that they could engage in a short mission trip without his presence with them. They were sent out in pairs, which is a reminder that it is not good for God’s servants to minister alone. Sometimes we miss the point by wondering which of the eleven had Judas Iscariot as a travelling companion and c0-preacher. The main point is not that one of them had him, rather it is that each of them was not alone.

It is obvious that it was a common practice for God’s servants to travel together. In the Book of Acts, there are several pairs: Peter and John, Paul and Barnabas, Paul and Silas etc. Why would Jesus have arranged things in this way? The answers are obvious: among them are to pray together intelligently, encourage one another when rejected, and share the joy of good responses with each other.

The second feature that Mark highlights is that Jesus gave them power. There are at least two reasons why Jesus did so. One is that he knew that the disciples by themselves had no power and the other reason is that he knew that the enemy kingdom was more powerful than the disciples. A third possible reason is that Jesus wanted to share his success with his servants. Later on, when he would send his disciples out into all the world he assured them that he possessed all power in heaven and earth. Often we are bemused by the power of the enemy and forget that it is limited whereas the power of Jesus is total. And his disciples discovered on this trip that Jesus could work through them.      

The third feature mentioned in Mark’s account is that Jesus wanted his disciples to be dependent on others. I don’t think Jesus is stressing the benefits of poverty, which is how some religious groups have interpreted his instructions here. Here is an example of how those who preach the gospel should be maintained by those whom God blesses through the gospel. He also indicated that they should not take any help from those who opposed the message that they preached.

The fourth detail that Mark records is the message that they preached, which was repentance. As we know, repentance involves our personality. Our mind is affected because we realise that we have sinned against God, our emotions are affected because we are sorry that we have sinned against such a good God, and our wills are affected because we want to cease sinful living and commence righteous living. Moreover, repentance is personal because it focuses on what we have done as individuals against God. It is the case that our sins against God will usually involve sinning with and against other people, yet we have to draw near to God individually about our own sins. At times, and likely much more often than we think, there should be corporate repentance as well.

Mark records a fifth detail as well, which his original readers may have found surprising, given the response that the disciples observed in Nazareth, and that detail is success. While Mark does not say that any repented, he does point out that the servants of Jesus experienced compassionate power as they served Jesus. So whether or not there was converts we cannot say, but the disciples discovered that through Jesus they could experience victory over the evil powers. This would have given confidence as they faced a world ranged against them.