People of Nazareth Reject Jesus

13:53 And it came to pass, that when Jesus had finished these parables, he departed thence.

54 And when he was come into his own country, he taught them in their synagogue, insomuch that they were astonished, and said, Whence hath this man this wisdom, and these mighty works?

55 Is not this the carpenter's son? is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas?

56 And his sisters, are they not all with us? Whence then hath this man all these things?

57 And they were offended in him. But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, save in his own country, and in his own house.

58 And he did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief.

Why Couldn't the People of Nazareth Believe Jesus?

During the times before Jesus arrived in Nazareth, He had performed many miracles including calming the sea and driving the demons from the man at Gadarenes. In town after town He amazed people with His knowledge and understanding. So, why was it so difficult for the Nazareth townspeople to believe that He was the Christ - or even a prophet?

The Therapist Parallel

A psychologist can administer therapy to hundreds of people in need and get results in many cases. But, even an excellent therapist find it a real challenge to treat a spouse or their own children. Why? Because they are too close to the situation and too emotionally involved to be objective.

This is the syndrome that faced Jesus as He tried to teach the people of Nazareth an "unpopular" message. He was known as the "carpenter's son" and the "son of Mary" but not considered the Messiah. They could not comprehend that someone from such humble beginnings could be Savior of the world.

If we look objectively, it's understandable. If someone we knew from childhood came back and tried to teach a message of which we were unsure of, it would be easy to label them as "just the boy or girl down the street".

How about our faith?

In this Bible study lesson we discover the people of Nazareth simply did not believe. Do we sometimes miss the great things God can do in our lives because of our lack of faith? Christ performed very few miracles in Nazareth because people did not believe in Him.

In previous chapters of Matthew (and throughout the New Testament) Jesus did many miraculous deeds but, in each instance, the healing and bringing the dead back to life was a result of faith on the part of the recipient. Peter could not walk on the water because of his lack of faith.

"All Things are Possible..."

God wants to do great things in our lives. There are two steps in receiving Gods blessings. First, we ask--Then we believe--Then God acts. To be sure, this does not mean we just ask God for a new Mercedes and it's in our drive the next morning. Prayer is not some magic incantation to deliver selfish wants and needs of this world.

A point to remember (My favorite pastor is where I heard this)..

God Never Hurries and -- God is Never Late

He does things in his own time and in his own way. We cannot see the big picture so we just have to trust that God knows what he is doing. Talk to God about your needs and then have the faith that your request is not too big for Him. You might be surprised at the outcome.

Love In Christ

- Bob

Matthew 12:46-50 - The True Family of Jesus