Read and Believe in Jesus.
“He did not many mighty works there, because of their unbelief.” Matthew 13:58.
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REVIEW – Jesus reviewed the meaning of the wheat/weeds parable for His disciples, and then spoke three more short parables to them alone. His kingdom of heaven will be found by those who seek it and truly want it, like the man who found treasure in a field and the merchant who found the best pearl ever. Both sold ALL they had to buy that most valuable thing.
(Compare that to those men who wanted to follow Jesus (Matthew 8): Both turned back after one discovered Jesus had “no place to lay His head,” and the other wanted to receive his inheritance first.) No, Jesus’ kingdom (our salvation) has to be more precious than anything else.
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Matthew 13:53-58.
After talking in word-pictures to the crowds and then to His own disciples, Jesus seems to have wanted “some space.” He and the Twelve walked the 20 miles to Jesus’ own hometown of Nazareth.
Once there, He went into the synagogue (so familiar to him since He was a boy) and taught the people from that day’s scripture reading. They were astonished!
Then came the questions and the unbelief.
“Where did this man get this wisdom and these mighty works?”
“Is this not the carpenter’s son?”
“Is not his mother called Mary?”
“Are not his brothers James and Joseph and Simon and Judas?”
“Are not all his sisters with us?”
“Where then did this man get all these things?”
And these people, who were only a few minutes earlier “astonished” at Jesus’ teaching, are now “offended” by Him.
How sad this must have made Jesus. Isn’t it our family and close friends that we want most to hear the Gospel and believe unto salvation? The people who knew Jesus the best rejected Him as a charlatan, a kid playing games.
Sadly, the proverb Jesus quoted was true: “A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown and in his own household.”
And Jesus did not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief. Some of the sick, possessed, lame, blind, and at death’s door … STAYED that way when Jesus left. How sad!
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(LORD, increase our faith! We know that faith comes by reading Your Word, so stir our hearts to delve deep into the truths and depths of our Bible reading, seeking YOU, seeking wisdom, guidance, and help. We DO believe … help our unbelief!)
