DEEPER LIF SEARCH THE SCRIPTURE
SEARCH THE SCRIPTURE by Pastor Kumuyi of the Deeper Christian Life Ministry for today is here. Digest the word of the lord and pray believing.
TOPIC: CHRIST REJECTED
IN HIS OWN COUNTRY
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” (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 neighbouring 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).
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.
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 labour 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.
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 organise 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 commercialise 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?
