Reading Mark today, chapter six.
Mark 6:1-6 (NIV) "Jesus left there and went to his hometown, accompanied by his disciples. When the Sabbath came, he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were amazed.
"Where did this man get these things?" they asked. "What's this wisdom that has been given him? What are these remarkable miracles he is performing? Isn't this the carpenter? Isn't this Mary's son and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas and Simon? Aren't his sisters here with us?" And they took offense at him.
Some of these questions are great questions, you would think that Jesus would be more than happy to answer them. After all they seem to want to know more about him, don't they?
But it's not in the questions they ask, but in the heart they ask them from. There is a difference between wanting to know an answer and demanding an account. Here we find people who were not trying to understand Jesus, but rather took offense at him. In fact the amplified bible tells us,
"And they were [deeply] offended by Him [and their disapproval blinded them to the fact that He was anointed by God as the Messiah]." Mark 6:3 AMP
Sadly, this type of posture prevented Jesus from working in their lives. Continuing with verse 4,
Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor except in his own town, among his relatives and in his own home." He could not do any miracles there, except lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them. He was amazed at their lack of faith. (vv 4-6)
We don't always understand what God is doing in our lives, but when we ask, are we seeking to understand, or demanding he give us an account?
