Pistis 4

Mark 6:1-6

An image we have of Jesus is likely to be that of a very charismatic teacher, someone everyone would listen to. But Jesus encountered those who would not believe. Even the great physician, the Christ who performed miracles, was confronted with a lack of faith.

Where did Jesus go? How did the crowd respond to his teaching? What is the result of the crowd’s attitude (verse 5)?

I’m sure we have all experienced the frustration of spending time with our families – siblings and parents – and being treated as if we were a child and not the adults we are. Jesus himself encountered a similar situation. Returning to his hometown of Nazareth Jesus brings his successful ministry into the synagogue. And all those who heard him were amazed.

But amazed at what? Amazed at what he was saying, or amazed that some kid from their little town had come back and was acting all grown up? They doubted him because they were familiar with him. They knew his mother, brothers and sisters. They had known his father, and they had known him too.

So, instead of benefiting from the presence of Jesus, these people missed out on all the miracles that could have been performed.

And why weren’t these miracles performed? Verse 6 says that Jesus “was amazed at their lack of faith.”

The son of God who had healed a sick woman (Luke 8:43-48 and Mark 5:25-34) and raised a dead girl was unable to perform the miracles he was capable of doing. What stopped him was a lack of faith on the part of the people who heard him.

And I dare say that the same is true of many of our churches. Why isn’t this church bursting at the seams with people in attendance? Why isn’t that church changing lives in third-world countries? Why aren’t the un-churched and disenfranchised of our society being brought to Christ?

The answer is NOT that God is unable to perform miracles. The answer is NOT that God has abandoned us or that He is an uncaring or impotent deity.

The miracles of God are limited only by the faithfulness of His believers. If we can have a life that exhibits pistis – faithfulness – and we can obey God in faithfulness, then the power and miracles of the Lord will be unleashed into the world. And the exciting thing is – YOU can be a part of those miracles if you can achieve that faithfulness.

DAILY CHALLENGE: Which miracle do you need to put your faith in?