Mark 6:1-13 (NRSV)
Read Mark 6:1-13 on biblegateway.com
Chapter 6He left that place and came to his hometown, and his disciples followed him. Verse 2On the sabbath he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astounded. They said, "Where did this man get all this? What is this wisdom that has been given to him? What deeds of power are being done by his hands! Verse 3Is 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?" And they took offense at him. Verse 4Then Jesus said to them, "Prophets are not without honor, except in their hometown, and among their own kin, and in their own house." Verse 5And he could do no deed of power there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and cured them. Verse 6And he was amazed at their unbelief.
Then he went about among the villages teaching. Verse 7He called the twelve and began to send them out two by two, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits. Verse 8He ordered them to take nothing for their journey except a staff; no bread, no bag, no money in their belts; Verse 9but to wear sandals and not to put on two tunics. Verse 10He said to them, "Wherever you enter a house, stay there until you leave the place. Verse 11If any place will not welcome you and they refuse to hear you, as you leave, shake off the dust that is on your feet as a testimony against them." Verse 12So they went out and proclaimed that all should repent. Verse 13They cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many who were sick and cured them.
Devotion
Who does this guy think he is? He grew up here. We know his family. What makes him think he’s so special?
The hardest people to impress are those who know us best – they know we are only human. That’s the point of this story. Jesus was human. We want to elevate him above and beyond the world in which we live but this is the world he came to save. He worked at a trade, made friends and paid taxes. The folks in Nazareth wondered why he left his family and business for strangers. It’s hard to be a prophet for people who know us in our ordinary world.
Does this mean that we should avoid speaking our faith to those who know us? They may be skeptical but they need to hear and we need to tell. Trust that faith will overcome the scandal of our common lives.
Prayer
You have become human weakness in Jesus. Teach us through Him to be faithful even in our weakness, that we may speak your truth to those who know us well, our friends and our families. We pray in the name of the risen Jesus. Amen.