Movin' On!

I think it interesting when studying Mark 6:1-6 that the home folks were not only upset at Jesus for being different than they were, but they also took offense to His actions!  The Message Bible says that the people declared, “Who does he think he is?  They tripped over what little they knew about him and fell, sprawling.  And they never got any further.”   (Mark 6:3)

From personal experience, I can also understand why Jesus “marveled because of their unbelief.” (Mark 6:6)  Robertson’s explains that “Here he marvels at the lack of faith where he had a right to expect it, not merely among the Jews, but in his own hometown, among his kinspeople, even in his own house.”  It is pretty clear that Jesus expected a different response from His own family and friends as did I when my wife was first diagnosed with Alzheimer’s.  I too “marveled” at some individual’s lack of faith, negative reactions and hurtful words.

But you know… Jesus moved on from there… as did I.  Although it took me a lot longer to sort through things and get passed the trauma of it than it did our Master!  The scripture accounts of Jesus’ hometown encounter say nothing about Him getting upset.  Yes, He was surprised, helped a few sick folks and then simply moved on to the next place the Father sent Him.  I wish I could say the same thing about me!  No, I went through a lot of human emotions before I could understand and yield to the overcoming power of God’s love working through the situation, forgive and thereby allow that same love the freedom to work in the people involved.  And now like Jesus, we too have moved on. 

Immediately afterwards, Jesus used the event as a lesson for His disciples.  As He sent them out to minister to the people of the surrounding towns and villages He instructed them saying: “Whenever you go into a home, stay there until you’re ready to leave that place.  Wherever people don’t welcome you or listen to you, leave and shake the dust from your feet as a warning to them.” (Mark 6:10-11 God’s Word ©)  He didn’t give them any provision to be angry at the people or to think and or say nasty words to them.  He simply instructed them to quietly pack up and move on.

I think that moving on is sometimes the hardest thing for some of us to do when we’ve been wronged, but God’s love and forgiveness is one of the most powerful weapons at our disposal!  We may think that we would feel better or even justify ourselves by telling them a thing or two about how we felt about the situation… but the best way would probably be to simply let them know what God thinks about the event (and about them) by our loving words and actions!

Not real easy… but it works!  Have a great day.  Stay in tune to His Word and keep asking yourself… What or Whom am I expecting today?”