2005-02-13 Communion Dedication - Baldwin Christian Church

Mark 6:1-6

1. And he went out from thence, and came into his own country; and his disciples follow him.
2. And when the sabbath day was come, he began to teach in the synagogue: and many hearing him were astonished, saying, From whence hath this man these things? and what wisdom is this which is given unto him, that even such mighty works are wrought by his hands?
3. Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joses, and of Juda, and Simon? and are not his sisters here with us? And they were offended at him.
4. But Jesus, said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, but in his own country, and among his own kin, and in his own house.
5. And he could there do no mighty work, save that he laid his hands upon a few sick folk, and healed them.
6. And he marvelled because of their unbelief. And he went round about the villages, teaching.

It's hard for me to comprehend this man Jesus; walking this earth as one of us, being fully God, and at the same time, fully man. This is one of only two times in all of scripture that we find Him wondering. The other can be found in Matthew chapter 8, as He marvels at the faith of the centurion. It's hard for me to understand exactly what Jesus knew, and what He didn't know. Both of these occasions where Jesus seems to be astonished, or taken aback, it was at the state of people's faith. I can't help but wonder even now, as He is sitting at the right hand of God, if He doesn't still marvel sometimes at my lack of faith. I wonder if, while He's looking at each of us here today, looking at our very hearts, if He's shaking His head in amazement because of everything that He's already shown us; all that time and history have proven about Him; all the truth available to us in His Word, and yet we're still undecided about Him; we're still unsure about how much of ourselves we should give to really serving Him. With all that we've learned about Him, we're still unsure about how much we need Him. We're still clinging to this life; still afraid to give it over wholly to Jesus Christ.

In these verses it's obvious that there exists a link between our level of faith and His willingness to perform mighty works among us. By example He is showing us to offer ourselves as instruments of His healing, even when there will be no praise. We're not called to be a pest, offering ourselves where we're not wanted, but if we remain sitting on the sidelines in our faith, not concerned about anyone but ourselves, I believe He marvels at us. I believe He's wondering at me, considering the gift of faith He's given me. He places people in my path, people who are willing to receive the Good News about Him, but by my inaction I'm telling Him that I want to keep this gift of faith for myself. Why have I refused? Am I afraid of rejection, of being labelled as one of those kooky "Christians"? He was without honor in His own country, among the people who knew Him, and even his own family. Is He without honor in our hearts as well?

Wouldn't it be nice if Jesus marvelled at your faith? If He was astonished at the abundance of your faith? Would it be a bad thing if He were allowed to perform mighty works in your life? The walk of faith begins with knees that bend. As they say, "No pain, no gain." One step at a time, let's start exercising our faith, and stop holding Him back.