What I’m Thinking: Not Alone

Jesus wasn’t well received in his home town of Nazareth. He was amazed by their unbelief. It prompted him to greater activity, not less: he dispatched his closest friends to teach, to heal, and to build up the Realm of God.

Here’s a transcript:

I’m thinking about the sixth chapter of Mark (Mark 6:1-13), in which Jesus visits his home town of Nazareth.

It didn’t go terribly well. People didn’t believe in him. They believed in the youth and the young man that he  had been. And so it says that Jesus was amazed at their unbelief, and he was only able to heal a few people.

What fascinates me is that after that, Jesus sends out his disciples to the other towns and villages of Galilee, to spread the good news but also to spread the power of the Reign of God, telling them to preach, to teach, and to heal and to cast out demons.

What one was not able to do in Nazareth, Jesus sends out twelve to do in towns all over the area.

That, I think, is the message for us. It won’t take one. It won’t take two. It won’t take even a dozen. It will take far more to bring the healing that we need: we as individuals, we as families, we as communities, we as a nation, we as a world.

One town’s unbelief: that’s quite something. But it is not enough to prevent the faith, the energy, and the action of many from bringing the Realm of God.

That’s what I’m thinking. I’m curious to hear about what you’re thinking. Leave me your thoughts in the comment section below; I’d love to hear from you.

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