Mark 6:1-6
He went away from there and came to his hometown, and his disciples followed him.
And on the Sabbath he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astonished, saying, “Where did this man get these things? What is the wisdom given to him? How are such mighty works done by his hands?
Is 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. 4 And Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor, except in his hometown and among his relatives and in his own household.”
except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and healed them.
And he marveled because of their unbelief.
And he went about among the villages teaching.
Every day Jesus dealt with adversity, problems, ridicule, praise, love, warmth, hospitality, injustice, Glory and God. Not just Nazareth.
All His ministry.
And on this day, Jesus marveled at the unbelief. And went about His Day.
Others might have said Jesus' life was too hard. Jesus said His Life is Joy.
Jesus calls this life Joy.
And turns His face to finding the hopeful, diligent to God, open-hearted, newly remade hearts, those grateful today and those grateful in His Plan down the path.
Jesus took each day and found the Mercy of God.
Watchtowers are also storehouses for extra food and weapons. Nazareth is the only town recorded being on a plateau, which is a watchtower to begin with. There are at least 3 watchtowers rebuilt from antiquity in Nazareth.
Nazareth is famous in all of Israel, with the 12 tribes, for being a watchtower for safety.
Probably the people who lived in Nazareth were the people who wanted to be safe and to watch out for danger to have good and comfortable lives. And so it's not unusual Nazareth is recorded through the millenniums for their observation of the Family of Joseph. And it is a favorable report.
The Scriptures don't say He rolled around on the ground, shook His Fist, became so angry He was purple. Called down fire. Or hopped. He didn't say Peter, come over here, I have to talk to you. Jesus didn't call His Disciples together to explain. Jesus didn't run home and get His Brothers and Sisters. The Scriptures don't say Jesus was angry. Jesus didn't fear. The Scriptures don't say Jesus didn't understand mankind. Jesus said He knew what was in mankind.
His Mercies renew every day. Jesus says life is Joy. Jesus was planning on tomorrow as Joy.
Even if He has to have Peter pull a fish out of the Sea tomorrow.
Marvel.
The other time Jesus marveled was in the hometown Jesus picked as an adult, Capernaum. Capernaum has views. Of the Sea of Galilee in many different seasons and weather conditions. Calming and interesting. And of the mountains, something to look up to see. And find the sky making patterns across colors different in different seasons. Like the Sea of Galilee, the meadow flowers would move like waves on the Sea.
Jesus marveled when a man of faith believed the Authority of Jesus. And Jesus rejoiced in His Heart, the men believed He acted by His Word. The Centurion believed Jesus could heal his servant for his faith, his belief and his goodness giving God joy. Jesus praised the Centurion and said in all of Israel, the Centurion understood. This pleasure and marvel of God's Son is a study of our prayers today and every day.
We believe God. And treasure His Love. Giving God Love in return. Father and Child. Son of the Lord. Daughter of God. Beloved. We are.
Jesus Christ meek and mild is Not Scripture.
Jesus tells us He fulfills every dot and iota of Scripture, especially when we can't. Jesus handles different situations differently. Jesus certainly chased the money changers out of the Royal Stoaa on Temple Grounds. A huge building, later the Vatican building copied, built in 400 A.D. would indeed copy the Royal Stoaa. One Gospel is unclear, Jesus perhaps chased the Money Changers from the 36 acres of Temple grounds. We Believe Jesus could do this.
Jesus tells us He is one with the Holy Trinity.
Jesus is Teacher, Comfort and Comforter. When Jesus didn't Yell with Authority or out discuss Loving God with your whole heart, making someone close to the Kingdom of God at hand. Jesus is the comfort when we didn't have to have the last word. Jesus is the teacher that not all discussion is a winning hand. Not every situation is apparently winnable. Jesus just perfectly in God's Wisdom said, go forth to a better, "Give us the Day."
The hometown of Nazareth would later decide to throw Jesus from Nazareth plateau. Jesus again walked away. This was more spectacular, to avoid violence with a crowd of the people who had known Jesus as a boy. Both times, Jesus chose to walk away. Wisely. And if we want to think about when Jesus didn't set out to win the moment or the conversation, we would have to remember Jesus' own Brothers and Sisters. Not all situations are winning situations.
Yet, Jesus tells us greet all this with prayer and God's Plan to save the world.
Was Jesus right? His Brothers and Sisters are recorded as going out to the world to tell of the Wonders of God in Jesus, God's Son, Messiah. If we fully face the criticism this was a cult, we would have to also see, the brothers and their wives didn't travel as a team, but two by two. This is more the path of God since Genesis and not clumps of chumps.
Jesus was Right. Wise. Wisdom.
Profoundly Wise. In the early 3rd century, the Emperor sent several highly placed young men in the Empire to go to Nazareth, torture the generations of Joseph and Mary's family to disown and denounce Jesus. Future Emperor Constantine was seen going to do this by Bishop
Eusebius Pamphill, Bishop Eusebius of Caesarea.
What Constantine saw in his 2 weeks in Nazareth.
Constantine went on to be Emperor and asked his mother, Helena, to archeologically return to Jerusalem and preserve all she could and return the artifacts to the newly planned Vatican. Jesus had given Nazareth enough room to decide for itself. And this changed the Roman Empire.
1 Corinthians 16:13-14
Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.
Let all that you do be done in love.
This Easter stand firm. Stand firm. Stretch upwards to God. Breathe God in with deliberation.
Love God. And in His Love give to the people God has put in your Life. The Life God - Himself- our Father Gives freely to us Giving us Jesus Blessing Daily.
Abba, Our Abba, Our Father,
The Wind of Life blows where it will.
Let this Wind find us remembering Your Blessings.
Let us find this Lent, we are eager to take the time to find
and
Bless You for our Blessings.
Jesus,
Fill our hearts, fill the hearts of those we Love.
Jesus,
Fill our hearts, fill the hearts of those we Love.
Thank You for the people You have given us.
Jesus bless them and bless them and bless them with Your Love.
Let the Holy Spirit sweep this Nation, finding Easter Week and Your Willing Blessings.
Bless the work of our hands and the thoughts of our heart a
Let the Holy Spirit sweep this Nation, finding Easter Week and Your Willing Blessings.
Bless the work of our hands and the thoughts of our heart a
nd the words of our mouth to cause You to Lift Your Face and Smile.
Jesus, Please, Help us as we need You in all aspects of our lives.
Jesus, Please, Help us as we need You in all aspects of our lives.
Where we know and even where we do not know even to ask.
Let Your Living Water soak and nourish us all. You are Love.
Reign upon us.
The Lamb of God is for us.
The Lamb of God is for us.
You have Given us Your Son, Your Word, Your Promises.
Thank You.
Let our Nation and all nations and all of Your Beloved Children
Let our Nation and all nations and all of Your Beloved Children
find more Heaven
and more of Your Good Will on this earth.
We pray for the Storms of Destruction tonight to pass us by.
Bless us all, Father.
The Words of Jesus bless us.
Thank You. Alleluia. Amen.