LECTURE XXXIII.

UNBELIEF AT NAZARETH.

MARK Vi. 1-6.

1. And he went out from thence, and came into his own country; and his disciples follow him.

2. And when the sabbath-day was come, he began to teach in the synagogue: and many hearing him were astonished, saying, 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?

3. 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.

4. But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, but in his own country, and among his own kin, and in his own house.

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We find from St. Luke, that whilst thus teaching in the synagogue in his own country, i. e. at Nazareth, Jesus announced himself as "the Lord's anointed," bringing the glad tidings of salvation, and publishing peace. He read the prophecy of Isaiah, which described the Saviour who should come; and then said, "This day is this scripture fulfilled in

1 See Luke iv. 14-30.

your ears." But they rather wondered at him, than honoured him. That mighty works were wrought by his hands, that " gracious words" proceeded from his lips, roused their astonishment. From whence hath this man these things? But it also roused their jealousy. "Is not this Joseph's son?" 2 And they were offended at him. That feeling was excited in their minds, against which Jesus warned the disciples of John when they visited him: "Blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me:" whosoever shall overcome his prejudices and his prepossessions, so as to acknowledge the power of God in what he sees and hears. He shall know all things, if he "follow on to know the Lord."4

We cannot, indeed, justly blame those who had hitherto looked upon Jesus as the son of Joseph and Mary, and who were acquainted with the circumstances of his family and household, if they were astonished, and said, From whence hath this man these things? So far it was not strange that the prophet should be received with the least honour in his own country.

But what ought to have been their course? Not to be offended at him; not to be indignant and cavil, because, being the carpenter, the son of Mary, wisdom was given him, and he did mighty works: but to inquire, how being apparently so born and circumstanced, he possessed this power and wisdom. They should have "tried the spirit whether it were of God."

There is much in the doctrines of the gospel, which at first may seem as strange as what offended

2 Luke iv. 22.

3 Matt. xi. 6.

Hosea vi. 3.

the people of Nazareth. "Without controversy, great is the mystery," that the Son of God should be made flesh, and should suffer the death of the cross. Many are offended at it: and refuse attention to what appears to them "a hard saying: who can hear it !" 5

To whom then shall they go? He, and he alone, "has the words of eternal life."

If Jesus were not the

Rather let them inquire, 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? If the gospel were not from God, whence was it? Son of God, who was he? hands upon the sick folk and heal them, to silence the scribes and Pharisees, to astonish all who heard "the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth ?"

How was he able to lay

Even Jesus, who knew the perverseness of man, marvelled, or seemed to marvel, because of the unbelief which prevailed.

5. And he could there do no mighty work, save that he laid his hands upon a few sick folk, and healed them.

6. And he marvelled because of their unbelief. And he went round about the villages, teaching.

Thus did these persons, through pride of heart, shut themselves out from the opportunity of salvation. They would not suppose that there could be anything in the counsels of God which they could not comprehend. And so, closing their minds against the first proofs which Jesus gave, that he was the

John vi. 60.

The vessel was

Christ, they could receive no more. covered over; no fresh signs of his divinity could be poured in. He could do there no mighty work, because of their unbelief. Not that his power was weakened, his " arm shortened." That which proved the obstacle was not in him, but in them. It was not possible that he should benefit the heart which was in a state of unbelief towards him, any more than it was possible for God to favour the Israelites whilst in a state of rebellion: so that he said to the prophet Jeremiah," "Though Moses and Samuel stood before me, yet my mind could not be toward this people; cast them out of my sight, and let them go forth." And it is a sad reflection, that mankind too often, by their unbelief and hardness of heart, and by the conduct which follows these, frustrate the grace of God and forfeit his blessings. It proved so in the family of Eli, concerning which the Lord declared to him, " I said indeed that thy house and the house of thy father should walk before me for ever but now the Lord saith, Be it far from me." "Behold, the days come, that I will cut off thine arm, and the arm of thy father's house, that there shall not be an old man in thy house." It was the same with Solomon, when " he did evil in the sight of the Lord, and went not fully after the Lord, as did David his father."8 "The Lord was angry with Solomon, because his heart was turned from the Lord God of Israel which had appeared unto him twice, and said unto him, Forasmuch as this is done of thee, and thou hast not kept my covenant and my statutes, which I have commanded thee, I will surely rend 8 1 Kings xi. 6—11.

6

• Ch. xv. 1.

71 Sam. ii. 30, 31.

the kingdom from thee, and will give it to thy servant."

Want of faith on the part of men is still what it always was, the great hindrance in the way of God's mercy. He cannot benefit them, because of their unbelief. He has sent his Son into the world with the offer of eternal life. The proofs that he came from God, are such as none can gainsay. And so the people of Nazareth might have found, if they had inquired, that Jesus was not " Joseph's son," but the Son of God. But they satisfied themselves that they had all the needful knowledge, "whence he was," and passed over the whole matter with a sneer and a cavil, Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary?

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Too many treat the gospel with a like indifference: admire perhaps the wisdom it contains, and wonder whence it came: but live and die in a state of practical unbelief: with no such faith as leads them to give their heart to its truths, or direct themselves by its precepts. And, therefore, it is with them, as with the inhabitants of Nazareth: he can do no mighty work in their behalf: he cannot do the mighty work of atoning for their sins, and purifying their hearts, and so opening to them the gate of everlasting life. For, as appeared in the case of Jairus, faith must bring them to him, or he cannot save.9

• Ch. v. 36.