13. He Could Do No Miracles There
Mark's Gospel records the famous statement of Jesus near the beginning of his ministry that "A prophet is not without honor except in his own town, among his relatives and in his own home" (Mark 6:4). These words were spoken in a context which explains them, but which may seem puzzling: "He could not do any miracles there, except lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them" (Mark 6:5).
Reading these words, "He could not do any miracles there," we might wonder if Mark meant that Jesus was unable to do miracles in his home area. That is not the case, as we will soon see, but there are lessons to be learned in the reason for Jesus' lack of miracles in his own home town. Power without Limits We should first understand that the power of Christ was not dependent upon man in any way and could not be limited by people (John 1:1-4). God can perform miracles in any circumstance, whether the onlookers believe or not, and Jesus sometimes chided the people around him for their lack of faith when he did perform miracles. So Mark must mean something other than that Jesus was unable to do the miraculous works he would have normally done. Remember, Mark does say Jesus performed some healings, and Matthew's account confirms that he "did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith" (Matthew 13:58).
The use of "He could not do any miracles there" in Mark can be understood in the same way that we use the expression "cannot" in situations where we should not, or feel constrained not to, do something. For example, if we are encouraged by someone to do something we know is wrong, we might say "I can't do that" – meaning that we are constrained by our beliefs or moral obligations not to do it. The Greek expression used in Mark 6:5, ouk edunato "he could not," is often used in the same way. It appears, for example, in Jesus' parable of the neighbor who is invited to a feast but says "I just got married so I can't [ou dunatai] come" (Luke
14:20). It is not that the invited man was physically unable to attend – just that he felt constrained not to do so. Potential Power The Son of God could certainly have performed many miracles in his home area had he chosen to do so, but he clearly felt constrained by the unbelief of the people there. Remember that the miracles Jesus performed were not just displays of power – they were often signs of his divine authority and a witness to people to repent and obey God. Jesus knew the people in his home town of Nazareth were not willing to accept his message at that time, and they would be judged more severely if they were given signs but still refused to obey God (Matthew 11:21, etc.). Doubtless it was with sorrow that Jesus withheld the power he could have used to help the people he knew in his home area.
But there may be an important lesson in this story for us personally. Perhaps there are times when God would be pleased to perform certain things in our own lives, but chooses not to do them because we lack the faith to receive them or we are not ready for the responsibility such things would bring. In fact, the story of Jesus' home area is a good reminder that this is the purpose of continuing spiritual growth – the more we grow, the less God constrains himself in what he can accomplish in and through us.