Gospel Mark 6:1-13
"Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and the brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon, and are not his sisters here with us?" And they took offense at him. (Mk 6:4)
After a collection of three miracle stories Mark takes us with Jesus to his hometown, which he does not name!
There we find that although Jesus has 'moved on' the townsfolk have not. For them he is still the boy who played with their children, the same young man who had learned his trade in their midst. It seems that the girls of the family still lived in town ('are not his sisters still with us' v.4) but the boys had moved on as well.
Although captive to their past they noted the wisdom of his words, and he had been given the honour of speaking in the synagogue. They also knew of the miracles, for word had reached hem. But what they remembered of his past, and the images they held in their minds, could not be overcome by the power of his words or the reports of others. He was still the son of Mary, and they could let him be no more than that.
I wonder how we see Jesus.
Is he still the 'gentle Jesus meek and mild' of the children's hymn?
Do we see Jesus as our spiritual Saviour, but not recognise him as Lord of our day to day lives?
Have we accepted the view that Jesus is a great moral teacher - and nothing more?
In our sceptical and humanistic age have we stopped looking for Jesus to be the miracle-working Son of God?
The people of his hometown were so familiar with Jesus that he did not display his power in their midst. They were the poorer for it. Our familiarity could have the same effect
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