MEMORY VERSE: “And he could there do no mighty work, save that he laid his hands upon a few sick folk, and healed them. And he marvelled because of their unbelief. And he went round about the villages, teaching”

Text: Mark 6:5,6       

TEXT: Mark 6:1-56

In the earnest pursuit of His threefold ministry of preaching, teaching and healing, Christ came to His home city after raising Jairus’ daughter from the dead. Contrary to the heroic reception He enjoyed in other places, His own people at Nazareth treated Him with contempt because they knew His lowly origin. Consequently, they could not experience many miracles that Jesus would have done among them. Undeterred by the contempt and rejection, Jesus empowered and commissioned His twelve disciples to preach the gospel in the neighboring towns and villages. They returned with good reports of their outreach. Christ cared for the spiritual as well as the physical needs of His hearer: He fed the multitude that came to hear His message and healed many that were sick. Unlike in His own city, He was warmly received by the inhabitants of Gennesaret. The rejection of Jesus by His own kinsmen and acceptance by others illustrate the general attitude of mankind. “He came unto his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name” (John 1:11,12). 

1.  THE MISTAKE OF CHRIST’S KINSMEN CONCERNING HIS REAL IDENTITY 

Mark 6:1-6; 5:22-24,35-43; Matthew 13:53-58; Luke 2:39; 4:16; John 4:44; 6:42; 7:5,14,15.

“And he went out from thence, and came into his own country…” (Mark 6:1). Having preached in other places, Christ returned home so He could be a blessing to His own relatives and “his disciples followed him…” wherever He led them. This portrayed their humility, submissiveness and total identification with His mission and ministry. Back in Nazareth after a long time, Christ taught in their synagogue on the Sabbath as usual, His teaching was with wisdom and demonstration of power. One would have expected the people to celebrate their own but they rejected Him with cynicism and contempt. They despised Him because of His lowly origin and the fact that He was not taught in any known rabbinical school. They derided and berated His personality using such demeaning remarks as: “…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? 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” (Mark 6:2,3). Obviously, these disparaging expressions and mentioning of His siblings were to debunk any claim that He is the Messiah or the Son of God. The people at Nazareth were ignorant of the deity of Jesus and their familiarity with Him resulted in contempt and unbelief. They even became offended at His teachings and ministrations. Consequently, “he could there do no mighty work, save that he laid his hands upon a few sick folk, and healed them” (verse 5). Considering the reaction of the people of Nazareth to Jesus, we are warned of the danger of undue familiarity with God, His message and His appointed ministers. If we have a wrong attitude towards God’s servants, we cannot derive maximum benefit from their ministry. This is to be expected because faith cannot thrive in an atmosphere that is filled with resentment and prejudice. Relations and contemporaries of God’s anointed servants should be watchful in this regard. Learning from Christ’s example, believers should make efforts to reach their relatives and close associates with the gospel; but they must not be discouraged whenever such attempts are rebuffed. Truly, “A prophet is not without honour, but in his own country, and among his own kin, and in his own house” (Mark 6:4), Even when they despised Him, He still “went round about the villages, teaching”. If some will not receive our message, we should reach out to other fields where the people are yearning for the gospel and its benefits.

2.  THE MANDATE TO PREACH THE GOSPEL AND HEROD’S MURDER OF JOHN THE BAPTIST 

Mark 6:7-32; 16:15-20; Matthew 10:1-42; 28:18-20; Luke 9:1-9.

“And he called unto him the twelve, and began to send them forth by two and two; and gave them power over unclean spirits” (Mark 6:7). Christ paired the disciples as He sent them out to preach the gospel. This practice is in consonance with the scriptural requirement of two witnesses for establishing the truth, which the early Church also adopted (2 Corinthians 13:1; Acts 12:25; 13:2; 15:39,40). This principle of pairing converted believers is still useful and effective today as when it was first introduced by the Lord. It ensures companionship, provides mutual support and creates a sense of security (Ecclesiastes 4:9-12). In carrying out this assignment, Christ knew that they would come across ill-health that human ingenuity and knowledge cannot cure and that they would face opposition from demons and their human agents. Thus, the Lord gave them power over demons and diseases. And concerning their physical welfare, He commanded them to take only the minimum provision for their journey. In a nutshell, their mission would not allow a materialistic attitude and the tendency to go from house to house looking for where provisions are more abundant. We learn from this instruction to avoid encumbrances as pilgrims and strangers on earth and to trust God for supply of all our needs on the mission field (Hebrews 13:5,6). On their part, those who receive the gospel should support the preachers with their material resources (Galatians 6:6; Matthew 10:10; 1 Timothy 5:17,18). “And they went out, and preached that men should repent. And they cast out many devils, and anointed with oil many that were sick, and healed them” (Mark 6:12,13). The message of repentance from sin and faith in Christ’s sacrifice for salvation is the central theme of the gospel to be proclaimed by New Testament preachers (Luke 24:47; Acts 2:38: 3:19; 17:30; Revelation 2:4,5; 3:3). They cast out many devils and healed many that were sick. Like them, Christians who obey the great commission to preach the gospel to every creature will experience divine confirmation of their message with miracles, signs and wonders. The mission of the twelve produced a ripple effect in the ministry of Jesus and His fame spread all over. Herod Antipas, hearing about Jesus, thought He was John the Baptist who had incarnated. It could be recalled that Herod was glad to hear John’s message as long as it did not indict him. His conscience troubled him because of his cruel treatment of John who had rebuked him over his incestuous marriage to Herodias, wife of his half-brother Phillip (Leviticus 18:16; 20:21). He was convinced about John’s innocence. “For Herod feared John, knowing that he was a just man and an holy, and observed him; and when he heard him, he did many things, and heard him gladly” (Mark 6:20). Rather than repent, the couple took offence and imprisoned him. Herod and his guests were pleased with the daughter of Herodias for dancing so well during his birthday ceremony. There, Herod made a reckless promise to give the young girl anything she requested. Prompted by her mother, she asked for the head of John the Baptist in a charger. The king sent executioners to murder John in the prison and bring his head for the dancer and her mother, after which John’s disciples buried him. Herod was guilty of killing God’s anointed prophet because he chose to save his face and fulfil a thoughtless promise. He had opportunity to repent and but he vacillated until it was too late. There are striking lessons here for us. One, we should avoid getting angry at God’s servants whenever they rebuke us for wrongdoing. Open rebuke is better than secret love. Two, repent of sin before it multiplies and leads to greater evil. Herod proceeded from divorcing his wife to an incestuous marriage and capped it with murder. Three, preachers should be bold and unequivocal in declaring the word of God to all. “And the apostles gathered themselves together unto Jesus, and told him all things, both what they had done, and what they had taught. And he said unto them, Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while: for there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat” (Mark 6:30,31). Feedback or reporting is an inseparable part of our ministerial assignment. Done with a humble heart, accountability facilitates church planning and growth while it forestalls waste of resources. After giving their report, Jesus assessed their strength and saw that there was need for them to rest awhile for physical and spiritual renewal. The work-rest cycle was given by God who rested after His work of creation on the seventh day (Genesis 2:2,3; Mark 4:38). Endless labor without adequate rest is counterproductive and often results in burnout. However, we should not misconstrue rest for self-indulgence or laziness. As such, we must strike a balance between work and rest. 

3.  MIRACLES OF FEEDING MULTITUDES AND WALKING ON THE SEA BY CHRIST 

Mark 6:33-56; Matthew 14:15-31; Luke 9:10-17; John 6:1-21

While the disciples boarded a ship with the Lord to a desert place to thither “Many knew him, and ran afoot tither out of all cities, and outwent them, and came together unto him. And Jesus, when he came out, saw much people, and was moved with compassion toward them, because they were as sheep not having a shepherd: and he began to teach them many things” (Mark 6:33,34). Christ and the apostles demonstrated how to maintain a balance between ministry and rest. They came out of their retreat to attend to the multitude of people who converged for the teaching at the new location. His concern and compassion for the hurting and hungry made Him ready to help at all times. Out of compassion, He taught them many things, fed them and healed their sick ones. Preachers who see multitudes as a means of raising money are not Christlike. Those who are indwelt by Christ will show compassion by fending the people with His word and caring for their physical needs instead of making merchandise of perishing souls (Philippians 2:5). The apostles suggested that Jesus should dismiss the multitude when it was dusk. Their concern was how to feed the people, since they were in a desert area with little or no food or them. “He answered and said unto them, Give ye them to eat” (Mark 6:37). Christ was ever ready to meet the needs of those who hunger and thirst after His word. Telling the disciples to feed the multitude when they had no visible resources was to develop their faith in God’s ability to meet all their needs in every situation. “He saith unto them, how many loaves have ye? Go and see. And when they knew, they say, Five, and two fishes (Mark 6:38). Jesus commanded the disciples to organize the multitude in batches for easy access and management. Then, He blessed the five loaves and two fishes, shared them to the disciples, who divided them to feed the multitude until everyone was satisfied. About five thousand men ate and there were twelve baskets filled with leftovers. From this, we learn not to belittle our gifts and talents in the service of God. Little is much if it is surrendered to God for His use. The miracle inspires and reassures us that the Lord knows all our needs and we should avoid fear and anxiety. Gathering of the remnants shows prudence and distaste for waste of His benevolence. After feeding the multitude, Christ instructed His disciples to cross to Bethsaida by ship while He dismissed the crowd. Afterwards, He went to a mountain to pray. This proves that regular personal retreat is an inevitable antidote to spiritual dryness and instability (Mark 1:35; Luke 3:21; Matthew 26:36,39,41,42; Luke 22:39-46). While the apostles were at sea, Jesus saw them rowing hard against the wind while He was walking towards them on the water. Aside the storm that troubled them, they were also sore afraid that the approaching figure was a ghost.  Then Jesus spoke, “Be of good cheer: it is I; be not afraid” (Mark 6:50). He calmed both their fear and the storm. This miracle demonstrates Christ’s omnipotence  and authority over nature. It also exposes the fear and superstition of His disciples. On reaching the land of Gennesaret by ship, the people received Christ with much enthusiasm. They expressed their faith in Him by bringing their sick folks for healing. “And whithersoever he entered, into villages, or cities, or country, they laid the sick in the streets, and besought him that they might touch if it were but the border of his garment: and as many as touched him were made whole” (Mark 6:56). Jesus still saves and heals because He is always the same. He has empowered His servants to preach the gospel, heal the sick and deliver the oppressed as He did during His earthly ministry (Acts 10:38; Hebrews 13:8). Sinners should therefore repent and receive Him as their only Saviour, while believers should be unrelenting in perpetuating Christ’s ministry on earth through commitment to soul winning.

QUESTIONS FOR REVIEW:

1. Why was Jesus rejected in Nazareth and what was the implication?
2. How can believers avoid undue familiarity with God, His word and servants?
3. From Jesus’ instruction to His disciples to go out and preach, why is it wrong to commercialize the gospel?
4. What should be our attitude when we are despised while preaching the gospel?
5. What can we learn from the principle of pairing as demonstrated by Christ?
6. What should be the central theme of our gospel message?
7. What do believers learn from the way Jesus demonstrated His compassion for the people?