Underestimated
There's a story in the Gospels that has always fascinated me. Jesus is in Nazareth, his hometown. It's the place that knew him best. They had watched him grow from boyhood to manhood. He hadn't left there until he was thirty, so he lived there longer than he had been gone. But now he's a rabbi, a preacher. He's preaching and teaching the good news all over Galilee, even doing some healing and miracles. He's also constantly on the move, trying to share the good news, and in his travels he comes to his hometown once again.
The way Matthew tells it, it went down like this: Jesus taught a bit, preached a bit, and then the mumbling began. "Who does he think he is?" people are saying. "We watched him grow up. Does he now think he's somebody special with miraculous powers? We know his family! He's just the carpenter's son! What is this all about?" And Matthew says they took "offense" at him.
The word offense is related to our word for "scandal." The original word means a "stumbling block." They stumbled because of Jesus. They were confused, frustrated, doubtful, denying...and there were likely a whole lot of other emotions that went through the crowd. The bottom line is this: they didn't believe he really was who he said he was. Their faith in him faltered because they assumed they knew all about him. But what they thought they knew led them to underestimate what Jesus could do. And because of that, he could do very few miracles "because of their lack of faith" (Matthew 13:58).
Wow...we can actually hinder Jesus' work when we refuse to believe, when we underestimate what he can do.
I wonder how many blessings we have missed or how many miracles have gone unwitnessed because we've underestimated what Jesus can do in a life or in a culture. How many times do we miss out because we convince ourselves Jesus just can't do that? He can't help me forgive that person. He can't heal my friend. He can't walk me through this crisis. He can't save that person. Or so we think.
I had a friend, many years ago, that I believed was beyond saving. This friend and I were often at loggerheads when it came to faith, so much so that it damaged our friendship for a long time. And then I heard a sermon that challenged me to pray for three people I didn't believe would ever respond to the Gospel. So, I began to pray, but I didn't really believe anything would happen. This friend was one of those three, and many years later, I ended up in a conversation with him where he began to ask questions about faith. Before I could get around to asking why he was asking those things, he told me he had turned his life over to Jesus. Oh me of little faith! Thankfully, someone else did not underestimate Jesus and they shared their faith with my friend!
And on that list, two of the three have come to know Jesus. I'm still praying—with faith—for that third person!
Don't underestimate Jesus. He will do things on his own time, and in his own way, but he will come through...he can come through.
The way Matthew tells it, it went down like this: Jesus taught a bit, preached a bit, and then the mumbling began. "Who does he think he is?" people are saying. "We watched him grow up. Does he now think he's somebody special with miraculous powers? We know his family! He's just the carpenter's son! What is this all about?" And Matthew says they took "offense" at him.
The word offense is related to our word for "scandal." The original word means a "stumbling block." They stumbled because of Jesus. They were confused, frustrated, doubtful, denying...and there were likely a whole lot of other emotions that went through the crowd. The bottom line is this: they didn't believe he really was who he said he was. Their faith in him faltered because they assumed they knew all about him. But what they thought they knew led them to underestimate what Jesus could do. And because of that, he could do very few miracles "because of their lack of faith" (Matthew 13:58).
Wow...we can actually hinder Jesus' work when we refuse to believe, when we underestimate what he can do.
I wonder how many blessings we have missed or how many miracles have gone unwitnessed because we've underestimated what Jesus can do in a life or in a culture. How many times do we miss out because we convince ourselves Jesus just can't do that? He can't help me forgive that person. He can't heal my friend. He can't walk me through this crisis. He can't save that person. Or so we think.
I had a friend, many years ago, that I believed was beyond saving. This friend and I were often at loggerheads when it came to faith, so much so that it damaged our friendship for a long time. And then I heard a sermon that challenged me to pray for three people I didn't believe would ever respond to the Gospel. So, I began to pray, but I didn't really believe anything would happen. This friend was one of those three, and many years later, I ended up in a conversation with him where he began to ask questions about faith. Before I could get around to asking why he was asking those things, he told me he had turned his life over to Jesus. Oh me of little faith! Thankfully, someone else did not underestimate Jesus and they shared their faith with my friend!
And on that list, two of the three have come to know Jesus. I'm still praying—with faith—for that third person!
Don't underestimate Jesus. He will do things on his own time, and in his own way, but he will come through...he can come through.
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| Nazareth Village, mock-up of 1st century synagogue, 2012 |
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