When Kindness Meets Unkindness (Matthew 9:27-34; 13:54-58; Mark 6:1-6)

What should you do when your kindness is misunderstood or rejected? In this episode, we follow Jesus through several encounters where His compassion met resistance—including from the people who knew Him best. From healing two blind men to preaching in His hometown synagogue, Jesus remained faithful even when others were skeptical, dismissive, or hostile. Explore how you can respond with humility and perseverance when good deeds are met with ungratefulness—and learn how your faithfulness still glorifies God.

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Transcript

Good Deeds, Bad Responses

SPEAKER_00 0:44

Well, contrary to what you might think, good deeds do not guarantee good responses. You know, you might have done something nice for somebody who didn't even stop to say thank you. I I read about a young man who held the door open for a young lady and she said to him, Well, you don't have to hold the door open for me just because I'm a woman. And he said, Well, no, I'm actually holding the door open for you because I'm a gentleman. A pretty good response. Well, in real life, good deeds don't always bring about thankful responses. Have you ever thought about the fact that Jesus experienced this time and time again during his ministry? Following the raising of Jairus' daughter, Matthew's gospel account tells us

The Blind Men’s Bold Faith

SPEAKER_00 1:29

now in chapter nine that two rather persistent blind men begin following Jesus and his disciples. And we're told here in verse 27, two blind men followed him, crying aloud, have mercy on us, son of David. Now this expression here, son of David, was a messianic title. It comes from 2 Samuel chapter 7, where David is promised a son who's going to sit on his throne forever. These blind men, by the way, have better insight and spiritual vision than the religious leaders in that day who were denying of the messianic claim of Jesus. Eventually Jesus turns to them, these blind men, and says to them here in verse 28, Do you believe that I am able to do this? Now Jesus isn't just interested in giving these men their sight, by the way. And that's exactly how they respond as they answer Jesus with a very clear yes, Lord. And Jesus responds to their faith now in verse 29. Then he touched their eyes, saying, According to your faith, be it done to you. And their eyes were opened. Now we're not told here why Jesus touched their eyes. He certainly didn't need to. He could have simply spoken the word and healed them. Maybe it was because he wanted to clearly and undeniably connect their statement of faith with his healing power. But let me tell you, this was a very compassionate way to treat these men. In these days, eye diseases of any sort, especially blindness, were considered divine punishment for sin. Blindness was superstitiously considered to be the hand of God's judgment. Well, look at what the hand of God did. Look at what God the Son does here, touches them and heals them. I can't imagine, by the way, how long it's been since these men had felt the kindness of someone's touch. Well Jesus warns them now here in verse thirty not to tell anybody what he's done, but these two men can't keep it to themselves because they failed to obey him. Huge crowds now begin following Jesus, and these two men rush out of the house. Now another demonstration of the Lord's power is about to take place. We're told here in verse thirty two. As they, the two men, were going away, behold, a demon oppressed man who was mute was brought to him. And when the demon

A Mute Man Freed From Darkness

SPEAKER_00 4:06

had been cast out the mute man spoke, and the crowds marveled, saying, Never was anything like this seen in Israel. But the Pharisees said, He casts out demons by the prince of demons. Now their response ought to sound familiar to you because the same accusation was leveled at Jesus a short time earlier over in Mark chapter three. Jesus had revealed at that point in time how foolish the accusation was. I mean if Satan is casting out his own demons, he'd be fighting against his own kingdom, against himself. Now, as we study the gospels, beloved, we're we're studying them chronologically, that is in order of the events unfolding. Matthew's going to tell us what happens next here in chapter 13. Mark, by the way, will record it in his gospel account at chapter six. Mark's account gives us the most details, so I'd rather pick it up there with his account because of those details. And Mark says here in chapter six and verse one. He went away from there and came to his hometown, and his disciples followed him. Now apparently Jesus and his disciples arrive in

Back To Nazareth’s Cold Welcome

SPEAKER_00 5:20

Nazareth sometime earlier in the week. Then verse two says, On the Sabbath he began to teach in the synagogue. By the way, this is the second time Jesus has come to his own hometown of Nazareth since his public ministry began. You might remember the first sermon he preached in this synagogue back in Luke chapter four. It didn't go over very well at all. In fact, after he finished preaching, the people all rose up in anger and tried to throw him off a cliff because he claimed to be the Messiah. I've had some pretty upset people after a sermon or two of my own, but nobody's tried to push me over a cliff, at least not yet. Well, I suspect that Jesus' disciples are a little, you know, maybe a little anxious, a little surprised that he'd even want to go back to Nazareth, certainly not to preach in the synagogue. But let me tell you, beloved, this reveals his faithful compassion, even for those who rejected him earlier. Now, as far as we know, this is going to be his last visit to his hometown. But still, what an act of grace this is. Earlier his good deeds were not met with thankful hearts. He was effectively opening the door for them to walk through, and they snarled at him instead. I'm a little surprised myself here that the leader of the synagogue would actually invite Jesus to preach after what happened the last time he preached in the synagogue. It's possible now that Jesus' growing reputation as a healer, as a as a miracle worker, maybe that softened all their hearts just a little bit. In fact, after Jesus finished teaching this time, Mark's gospel records here in verse two, they were astonished, saying, Where did this man get these things? What is the wisdom given to him? See, in these days, the days of Jesus, rabbis taught by quoting other rabbis. Their sermons basically consisted of a string of quotations. But Jesus would often begin a sermon or a comment by stating, You have heard it said, but I say unto you. In other words, Jesus isn't preaching rabbinical traditions, he isn't delivering religious quotations, stringing them together. He's speaking from his own authority. Jesus was the word of God. Well the crowd also says here in verse three, is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joseph and Judas and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us? Now we can be certain, beloved, that by this time Joseph was not alive. Had he been living, normal Jewish custom would have called Jesus the son of Joseph here. Now it is possible that by calling him the son of Mary, they're subtly repeating the slander and the gossip, the accusation of earlier days

Familiarity That Breeds Unbelief

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when Mary had become pregnant out of wedlock. The assumption was that Jesus was the result of Mary's immorality. In fact, later on the religious leaders will accuse Jesus of having been conceived as a result of fornication, John chapter 8, verse 41. So referring to Jesus here as the carpenter and pointing out that his half brothers and half sisters are still in the village, that proves in their minds that Jesus probably is nothing more than a normal peasant, just like the rest of his family. His teaching might be impressive, but they refuse to believe he's any different from any of them. The Greek word means they were scandalized by the whole thing. In other words, who does he think he is? Now here in verse four, Jesus delivers to them a proverb. A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown. And let me tell you, because of their dishonor, the result is one of the saddest outcomes recorded in the Bible. We read here in verse five, and he could do no mighty work there except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and healed them, and he marveled because of their unbelief. I wonder if maybe you're experiencing the same thing in a way today. Everybody seems to appreciate your testimony except the people in your own hometown, maybe in your own family.

Keep Doing Good When It Hurts

SPEAKER_00 10:09

Your good deeds, well, they don't bring you know many thankful responses from people you know. Well, let me urge you to keep doing those good deeds. Jesus promises by our good works people will glorify our Father who is in heaven. Now we can't guarantee who those people will be, but as the world watches you, God will use your life and your testimony to bring glory to his name. Well, until our next wisdom journey, beloved, may the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen.