What do I know with Isaac Carroll
What do I know with Isaac Carroll
Mark 6, Faith and Unbelief in Jesus's Hometown
How do we reconcile the all-powerful nature of Jesus with the statement that "he could not do many miracles there"? This revealing look at Mark 6 explores what happens when the familiar becomes extraordinary, and why some people's hearts remain hardened to spiritual truth.
The story of Jesus returning to His hometown unveils profound insights about human nature and divine purpose. When those who had known Jesus as "the carpenter" encountered Him as a teacher and miracle-worker, they couldn't bridge the gap between their preconceptions and His reality. Their unbelief created a barrier not because it diminished Christ's power, but because it demonstrated the sacred freedom God grants us all—the ability to choose or reject relationship with Him.
As we journey through this passage and connect it with Paul's revelations in Romans 11, a magnificent tapestry of God's redemptive plan unfolds. The temporary hardening of Israel, the grafting in of Gentile believers, and the ultimate mercy God extends to all challenge our understanding of divine justice and grace. Most humbling is the realization that we're all sinners standing on level ground at the foot of the cross—there is no "us" versus "them" in God's economy, only those who recognize their need and those who don't yet see it.
This episode shatters common misinterpretations about Jesus "eating with sinners" and calls believers to recognize our common humanity while embracing our distinct calling to be light in darkness. Join us as we explore these transformative truths that dissolve spiritual pride and illuminate God's universal offer of mercy.
May God bless you and lead you always.
Welcome to the podcast. I'm Isaac Carroll and this is what Do I Know? Alright, in today's Bible study we are going to be in Mark, the 6th chapter, and we're going to begin at verse 1. It says Jesus went out from there and he came into his hometown and his disciples followed him and when the Sabbath came, he began to teach in the synagogue and many listeners were astonished, saying when did this man learn these things and what is this wisdom that has been given to him and such miracles as these performed by his hands? Is this not the carpenter? The son of Mary, the brother of James and Joseph and Judas and Simon, are our sisters, not here with us? And they took offense at him. Jesus said to them A prophet is not dishonored except in his own hometown, among his own relatives and in his own household. And he could not do many miracles there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and he healed them. And he was amazed at their unbelief. And he was going around the villages teaching. All right, let's stop here.
Speaker 1:At verse six, jesus goes back to his hometown teaching in the synagogue. The people were amazed at what he could do, but they took offense at him. What does this teach us? Well, it teaches me that Jesus didn't do any miracles. Growing up, he wasn't healing the sick or doing any great miracles in the sight of his family or the sight of the people, because if he had, this would not have come as such a shock. They wouldn't have asked how this man got these things, because he would have already shown that he had them and they were offended because he was one of them. What right did this man have to have all these great gifts above them? Why was he given these great things? They knew who he was. He wasn't someone special to them. That's the problem is because when Jesus met most people, they praised God for giving such power to a man not understanding that Jesus was God. These people could never accept the fact because they believed they knew who he was.
Speaker 1:What else do we learn from this verse? Well, it says that Jesus couldn't do very many miracles there because of their unbelief. Now why is that? Jesus is God. He can do whatever he wants. I mean his voice commands the winds and the waves. I mean he is the creator. He can do whatever he wishes. He has the power to do whatever he wants, but he says that he could not perform any miracles because of their unbelief. Well, by this it proves that we have free will. We can choose to believe or not. And that's what I've come to learn about love. You can't force someone to love you. That's bondage, that's enslavement. The Creator created us to be in a relationship with Him, to love Him. But it would never truly be love unless we chose to love him. It could never really be his until we chose to be his. That's what makes the relationship work. All right, let's continue at verse 7.
Speaker 1:And he summoned the twelve and he began to send them out in pairs and gave them authority over the unclean spirits. And he instructed them that they were to take nothing for their journey except a mere staff, no bag, no money in their belt, but to wear sandals. And he added Do not wear two tunics. And he said to them Wherever you enter a house, stay there until you leave town, any place that does not receive you or listen to you. As you go out from there, shake the dust off the soles of your feet as a testimony against them. And they went out and they preached the people are to repent. And they were cast out many demons and were anointing with oil many sick people and healing them. King herod heard about it, for his name had become well known and people were saying john the baptist has risen from the dead and that is why these miraculous powers were at work in him. But others were saying he is elijah and others were saying he is a prophet, like one of the old. But when herod heard about it he kept saying john, whom I have beheaded, has risen. For herod himself has sent men and had arrested john and bound him in prison on account of herodias, the wife of his brother Philip, because he had married her. For John had been saying to Herod it is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife. And Herodias held a grudge against him and wanted to put him to death and could not do so. For Herod was afraid of John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man and he had been protecting him. And when he heard him he was very perplexed. And yet he used to enjoy listening to him.
Speaker 1:An opportune day came when Herod, in his birthday, held a banquet for his nobles and military commanders and the leading people of Galilee, and the daughter Herodias herself came in and danced. She pleased Herod and his dinner guest. And the king said to the girl Ask me for whatever you want and I will give it to you. And he swore to her Whatever you ask for, I will give it to you up to half of my kingdom. As she went out, she said to her mother what should I ask for? And she said the head of John the Baptist. Immediately she came in in a hurry to the king and asked, saying and she said executioner, and commanded him to bring back his head. And he went and beheaded him in the prison and he brought his head down a platter and gave it to the girl and the girl gave it to her mother. When his disciples heard about this, they came and carried away his body and they laid it in a tomb.
Speaker 1:The apostles gathered together with Jesus and they reported to him all that they had done and taught. And he said to them Come away by yourselves to a secluded place and rest a little while, for there had been many people coming and going and they did not even have a chance to eat. They went away into the boat to a secluded place by themselves. All right, let's stop here at verse 32. You know, sometimes the flesh gets involved whenever we're studying. As I was reading this, I was thinking to myself what was the purpose for all this?
Speaker 1:We read where Jesus went from village to village preaching the good news. He called the twelve and he sent them out two by two to do the same thing. He gave them power to cast out evil spirits and to heal the sick. But was there ever a great movement of Christ among the people of Israel? No-transcript, at least until they were persecuted and they were forced to flee. But was there ever a significant number of Christians among the Jewish people, even to this very day? And why is that? Well, we can find the answer in Romans 11.
Speaker 1:Start at verse 7, it says what then? What Israel was seeking? It has not obtained. But those who were chosen obtained it, and the rest were hardened. Just as it is written, god gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes to see not and ears to hear not, down to this very day. And David says May their table become a snare and a trap and a stumbling block and a retribution to them. May their eyes be darkened to see not and bend their backs continually.
Speaker 1:We were just talking about this the other day in my men's Bible study class. We have a tour guide from Israel that we've all come to really appreciate. He's a great guy and we really like him and he's very, very knowledgeable in the New Testament, which is kind of shocking to us. And he's very, very knowledgeable in the new testament, which is kind of shocking to us that he's not a christian. Now, why is it shocking to us?
Speaker 1:Use the very words of isaiah 55, starting verse 10. It says for as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return without watering the earth and making it produce and sprout, and providing seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so will my word which goes out of my mouth. It will not return to me empty, without accomplishing what I desire and without succeeding in the purpose of which I sent by this. We know that god's word has, it has power to accomplish whatever he wishes. I know the word of God has a power to make us clean. John 15, 3 says you are already clean because of the words that I have spoken to. You Remain in me and I will remain in you. Just as no branch can bear fruit by itself unless it remains in the vine, neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.
Speaker 1:How about Romans 1, verse 16? Paul talks about the good news of Jesus. He says, for I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jews first, and also to the Greek. It makes the words spoken by Paul in Romans 11 make so much more sense. As it says, they were given a spirit of stupor Eyes that see but cannot perceive, and ears to hear but cannot understand. When we look at our friend, this friend of ours, this tour guide, we wonder how he can't be changed by the information that he has learned. This passage becomes so much more evident to us. This is why I found myself wondering why Jesus spent three and a half years preaching to a people of Israel, only to be rejected by them.
Speaker 1:But then I remember the rest of Romans 11. It says Ask then, did they stumble so as to fall beyond recovery? Certainly not. However, because of their trespass, salvation has come to the Gentiles to make Israel jealous. But if their trespass means riches to the world and their failure means riches for the Gentile, how much greater riches will their fullness bring? I am speaking to you, gentiles, and as much as I am an apostle to the Gentiles. I magnify my ministry in the hope that I may provoke my own people to jealousy and save some of them. For if their rejection is the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead? If the first part of the dough is holy, so is the whole batch. If the dough is holy, so is the whole batch.
Speaker 1:If the root is holy, so is the branches. But if some of the branches have been broken off for you, a wild olive shoot and have been grafted in among the others to share in the nourishment of the olive root, do not boast over those branches. If you do remember this, you do not support the root, but the root supports you. You will say then branches were broken off so that I could be grafted in. That is correct. They were broken off because of unbelief, but you stand by faith. Do not be arrogant, but be afraid, for if God did not spare the natural branches, he will certainly not spare you either. Take notice, therefore, branches. He will certainly not spare you either. Take notice, therefore, of the kindness and severity of God. Severity of those who fell, but kindness to you if you continue in his kindness. Otherwise, you also will be cut off and if they do not persist in unbelief, they will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again. For if you were cut off from a wild olive tree and, contrary to nature, grafted into one that is cultivated, how much more readily will these natural branches be grafted into their own olive tree?
Speaker 1:I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers, so that you will not be conceited. A hardening in part has come to Israel until the full number of Gentiles has come in, so all of israel will be saved. As it is written, the deliverer will come to zion. He will remove godlessness from jacob, and this is my covenant with them when I take away their sins. Regarding the gospel, there are enemies on your account regarding election. They are loved on account of the patriarchs, for god's gift and his call are irrevocable. Just as you, who formerly disobeyed god, have now received mercy through their disobedience, so they too have now disobeyed in order that they too may now receive mercy through the mercy shown to you, for God has consigned everyone to disobedience so that he may show mercy to everyone.
Speaker 1:The last verse should really humble everyone. God has consigned everyone to disobedience. We know this because the words says this in Romans 3, as it is written. Their throats are open graves. Their tongues of practice deceit. The venom of vipers is on their lips. Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness. Their feet are swift to shed blood. Ruin and misery lie in their wake, and the way of peace they have not known. There is no fear of God before their eyes.
Speaker 1:It struck me when I was reading this that the interaction with Jesus when he was in Matthew. So Jesus went to Matthew's house for dinner and the Pharisees there asked why he could sit with sinners and I know I've missed this so many times because we love to see ourselves as different, right, different and better than sinners. But I want you to listen to this exchange written in Mark 2, starting in verse 15. It says While Jesus was dining at Levi's house, many tax collectors and sinners were eating with him and his disciples, for there were many who followed him. When the scribes, who were Pharisees, saw Jesus eating with these people, they asked his disciples why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners? What they were saying is is what fellowship could Jesus, a righteous prophet, have in common with sinners? But listen to what Jesus says. On hearing this, jesus told them it is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick have not come to call the righteous, but sinners. Now let me see if I can correctly articulate what I'm trying to say.
Speaker 1:I've heard many Christians try to recite Paul in 1 Corinthians 9 when they say I have become like those who were not under the law so that I may win them to Christ, who were not under the law so that I may win them to Christ when they were out among the world going when they were going to worldly events and going to worldly places. They say Jesus ate with sinners. It's the religious people Jesus couldn't stand. Now, this day couldn't be further from the point Jesus was trying to make. We are all sinners. Jesus came to save the lost. We are called to separate ourselves from the world in action and mindset. Jesus called us out of darkness and into light. When we say Jesus ate with sinners, we are no different than the Pharisees in their blindness. Let's use a police lineup as an example, if I. Can you gather a group of people together and they stand them in a row for someone to look at and single out what separates one person from the next. What they look like, they're all people. Stand them in a row right. They're all people. We're all sinners. What we look like singles us out as believers.
Speaker 1:Now, this is quite far from where I originally intended to go, and this says nothing about the beheading of John the Baptist or how the disciples anointed with oil and healed and why we don't anointed with oil and healed and why we don't anoint with oil anymore. But I've always prayed that the Lord lead me in the direction that he wills me to go. It's always been my heart desire and my prayer that each message be from God, because if you're listening to just me, then you're wasting your time. Because if you're listening to just me, then you're wasting your time. And I have to have faith that the direction that we have went in is the direction he wanted me to go. So I'm going to stop this one here. We'll pick up at verse 30 in our next Bible study. Until then, I love you guys. God bless you and goodbye.