The Narrow Path: Mark 6:1-6, "How do you Choose?"

Mark 6:1-6, "How do you Choose?"
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Pastor Andy G. on 01/24/2012 07:00:00


I was talking with somebody today, about health, food, purified water, and then
it became interesting.  She began showing me this pendant that she wears that's
supposed to protect her body from the EMS, or wireless communications electrodes
or something, a black-polished rock she keeps in a bag in her pocket, another
stone to wear around her neck that's supposed to fight depression, and writing
messages pointing into her water bottles in order to make her water feel happy. 
She's not crazy or anything, she just really believes this will help keep her
healthy (I didn't think to mention it, but quitting smoking would sure help her
health).  Yet, when I tried to explain to her how Christianity isn't a religion,
or that Jesus is so much different from "other prophets", she didn't want to
hear it.
Today in Mark 6, we read that after leaving Jarius' house, Jesus went with His
disciples to His hometown, Nazareth.  The next Sabbath, He began teaching in the
synagogue, and many who heard Him were amazed. They asked, “Where did He get
all this wisdom and the power to perform such miracles?”  Then they scoffed,
“He’s just a carpenter, the son of Mary and the brother of James, Joseph,
Judas, and Simon. And His sisters live right here among us.” They were deeply
offended and refused to believe in Him.  Then Jesus told them, “A prophet is
honored everywhere except in his own hometown and among his relatives and his
own family.”  And because of their unbelief, He couldn’t do any miracles
among them except to place His hands on a few sick people and heal them.  And He
was amazed at their unbelief.
Now, first, I'd like to point out that this passage is one of the many used to
argue the Catholic's claim of Mary remaining a virgin after Jesus' birth.  But
let me point out that it straight out mentions Jesus' siblings, both brothers
and sisters, by name even.  Some could argue that they were just mentioning the
names of His disciples, but 1) His disciples weren't from Nazareth, as He was;
2) there was no disciple of the 12 named Joseph.
So anyway, looking past these, it almost sounds like Jesus was either telling
them things that they'd never heard before, and/or possibly filling in some
details left out in the Scriptures.  But then, as everybody questioned Him, they
actually led themselves to faithlessness.
Notice, that though Jesus was/is God, even His sharing of remarkable
information, performing unexplainable miracles, and having more than enough
witnesses to what He was claiming (Jewish Law only required 2 witnesses, Jesus
had 12 immediate witnesses and thousands of others in the surrounding towns),
people still didn't believe Him.  And they believed Him so little that Jesus
could not even perform any miracles, other than healing.
It sounds ridiculous almost, until you realize that this is still the case
today.  For notice that many people today who have educational degrees,
ordinations, and/or no witnesses to true miracles, even if what they say is
completely non-biblical and theological heresy, people will still not only
believe them, but think they're most holy servants of God, and even possess in
themselves the ability to perform miracles.  For example:
*Benny Hinn: Miracle worker?  Known as the one performing the miracles, glory
goes to him instead of God, HUGE following. 	*Many Pastors: preach on their own
theories that seem to make sense...until you really examine them.  But many
don't examine them and just believe...big following, good pay checks,
untouchable by those who know better. 	*Good talkers / motivational speakers:
seen as having great knowledge and wisdom. Many attend their seminars, buy their
CDs and books and follow their advice, which often times is just advice.
	*Philosophy: Old thoughts by dead and gone people, yet often discussed again by
people of each generation who think they're the first to think of it. 	*Cult
leaders: claim to understand more than us, teach their wrong understandings,
millions listen and believe. 	*Health scams: They tell people to wear a rock
around their necks, special pendants to block radio electrons (EMS), to lay on
stones for healing, or wear special bracelets, and a LOT of people pay big
dollars to carry stones in their pockets and weigh their necks down.
It's just amazing how quick people are to believe the lies, but hesitant to
believe the Truth.  Yet, even for the lies, they'll give all they have to attain
or be part of it, then judge the Truth as ridiculous.
Discussion/Reflection Questions:
*Why do you think people are so quick to believe in the lies? 	*By what
standards are the messages communicated by those who claim they're telling the
Truth, judged? 	*By what standards do you judge the people communicating the
message?  By what standards SHOULD we be using? 	*Discuss/reflect on the
standards the Bible gives us for discerning between the Truth and lies.
---Pastor Andy