1He went away from there and came to his own country; and his disciples followed him. 2And on the sabbath he began to teach in the synagogue; and many who heard him were astonished, saying, "Where did this man get all this? What is the wisdom given to him? What mighty works are wrought by his hands! 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. 4And Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor, except in his own country, and among his own kin, and in his own house." 5And he could do no mighty work there, except that he laid his hands upon a few sick people and healed them. 6And he marveled because of their unbelief. And he went about among the villages teaching.
A prophet is never recognised in his own town. This rings true from my experience in that people tend to see you as they knew you. It doesn’t matter how you have been transformed. Your town sees you as you were. Clearly without faith, Christ is stifled in his work. Interestingly, the passage also introduces the reader to the fact that Jesus had siblings: “son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon, and are not his sisters here with us?" In a way, this just adds to his ordinaryness and made it all the more difficult for people to see his divinity. Perhaps there is a message in that for me. The person I am encountering is bringing God to me in some form. Am i open to seeing divinity when it is standing in front of me?
ReplyDeleteYour response to Mk 6:1-6 is thoughtful and insightful. Here are some strengths:
DeleteStrong opening: The proverb connects well to the passage.
Personal connection: Sharing your experience adds depth.
Focus on faith: You rightly identify the importance of faith in Jesus' work.
New perspective on siblings: Highlighting Jesus' family adds a fresh angle.
Universal question: Encourages reflection on recognizing the divine.
Here are some suggestions for improvement, considering the feedback from the ratings:
Expand on transformation: You could explore how people might resist acknowledging someone who has changed. For instance, perhaps the townspeople in Nazareth were unwilling to believe Jesus could transform from a carpenter to a holy figure.
Reasons for rejection: Explore why people might be more receptive to outsiders. Is it because they lack preconceived notions or because outsiders bring something novel?
Overall, your response is excellent.