Jesus left there and went to His hometown…When the Sabbath came, He began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard Him were amazed…Isn’t this the carpenter? Isn’t this Mary’s son? And they took offense at Him. Jesus said to them, “Only in his hometown, among his relatives, and in his own house is a prophet without honor.” He could not do any miracles there, except lay His hands on a few sick people and heal them. And He was amazed at their lack of faith.
Mark 6:1-6
Have you ever wondered why some churches and people experience the power of God on a greater level than others? Why some people seem to be magnetic for miracles and the extraordinary, while others only ever hear about them?
There are a lot of reasons, but I believe this passage gives us one huge aspect of the answer.
At this point in His ministry, Jesus was on a roll. In fact, in this chapter of Mark, we pick up in the middle of a regional speaking tour, and Jesus was practically packing out coliseums with people who came to hear Him and be healed by Him. You would expect Him to be able to roll into His hometown and do even greater things. But that’s not what happens. Instead, all He can do is heal a common cold.
Why does the Bible say Jesus couldn’t do miracles? Not wouldn’t, but couldn’t?
When you read the above passage, it’s pretty clear. The miracle working power of Jesus wasn’t limited because His ability subsided. But because they did not believe. And their unbelief was tied directly to what they saw, and they didn’t see much. It goes back to the perception principle I explained last Thursday. Because they did not perceive, they were not able to receive.
Like most American Christians, their exposure to Jesus was great. But also like most American Christians, their experience of Him was limited. That’s why He was amazed at their lack of faith. And that’s why His power was limited.
I believe that the reason some churches see God show up in extraordinary measures and do remarkable things and other churches are dying on the vine has nothing to do with the power of God. God is powerful everywhere. He’s powerful on every continent in every time zone. He has the ability to change lives anywhere you go.
The determining factor in the activity of God in our churches and in our lives isn’t even who Jesus is. Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
It really comes down to this:
It’s not who He is; it’s how we see Him.
These people saw Him as a carpenter. That’s what they got.
Others had seen Him as someone capable of miracles. That’s what they got.
The same principle is true today.
If you see Jesus as a good teacher, that’s what you’re going to get.
If you see Him as someone who used to move in power, that’s what you’re going to get.
If you see Him as someone who still moves in power, that’s what you’re going to get.
When it comes to Jesus, what you see is what you get.
Jesus’ infinite miracle-working power hasn’t changed. It’s still the same, yesterday, today, and forever. What can change today is how you choose to see how that power is available to you. And what can then change is how much you will witness that power flowing through your life.
