Getting Tripped Up By Jesus

At one point in Jesus’ ministry, he went back to his hometown (Mark 6:1-6). At first, the people were amazed at his teaching. Yet, they couldn’t  get past his commonness and their familiarity with him. He was a carpenter. They knew his family. In fact, the reference to Jesus as “Mary’s son” (as opposed to saying that Jesus was Joseph’s son), may point to his perceived illegitimacy.

Sometimes, Jesus and Jesus’ actions don’t fit with our preconceived notions and expectations. We get tripped up by Jesus. In this story, the peoples’ offense fuelled by their lack of faith resulted in a miracle shortage in the area. As Christian leaders, we desperately need to trust God, recognizing that His ways are beyond our ways. When we trust Him, we will see Him do the work that He wants to do.

Note: Thanks to Pastor Dave Navarro at South Langley Church for getting me thinking about this topic in his March 17, 2013 sermon, “The Scandal of the Gospel.”