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. 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. (Mark 6:1-6 KJV)
Jesus Rejected at Nazareth
Here, Christ makes a visit to his own country, not the place of his birth, but where he was brought up, Nazareth, where his relatives lived. He had once been in danger of his life among them (Luke 4:29), and yet he returned; such is his patient grace, still seeking the salvation of his enemies. Though it meant entering danger, his disciples followed him (Mark 6:1), for they had left all to follow him wherever he went.
There he preached in their synagogue on the Sabbath (Mark 6:2). Unlike other places, there wasn’t a crowd flocking to him, so he waited until the Sabbath to teach, expounding Scripture with great clarity. In religious assemblies on the Sabbath, the word of God should be preached, following Christ’s example. We glorify God by receiving instruction from him.
They couldn’t deny what was honorable about him. First, he spoke with great wisdom, clearly given to him, since they knew he hadn’t received a formal education. Second, he performed mighty works with his own hands to confirm the doctrine he taught. They acknowledged the two great proofs of the divine origin of his message—wisdom and power—and yet, though they couldn’t deny the evidence, they refused to accept the conclusion.
They tried to discredit him and stir up prejudice. All his wisdom and miracles were dismissed because he had a common upbringing, had never traveled, nor studied under any of their rabbis (Mark 6:3): “Isn’t this the carpenter?” In Matthew’s account, they called him the carpenter’s son. But here, they say, “Isn’t this the carpenter?” suggesting that Jesus himself worked in that trade before his public ministry.
He humbled himself, making himself of no reputation, taking the form of a servant. He came to minister, and this was part of his condescension in redeeming us from our low condition. He also taught us to reject idleness and find meaningful work, even if it’s humble labor, rather than indulge in sloth. The Jews had a wise custom: even scholars were taught a trade, like Paul the tentmaker, so they could use their time well and support themselves if needed.
He gave dignity to manual labor and encouraged those who earn their living through honest work, even if the world looks down on them.
They also criticized him for the lowliness of his relatives: “He is the son of Mary; his brothers and sisters are here with us.” They knew his family and background, and though they were astonished at his teaching (Mark 6:2), they were offended by his identity (Mark 6:3) and looked down on him. Because of that, they rejected his doctrine, no matter how well it was presented. If he had dropped from the clouds without known parentage, would they have received him any better? Likely not. In Judea, where his background wasn’t known, that was still held against him: “As for this man, we don’t know where he comes from” (John 9:29). Stubborn unbelief will always find an excuse.
Let’s see how Christ responded to this contempt.
He partly excused it as something common and to be expected (Mark 6:4): “A prophet is not without honor except in his own country.” While some may overcome this prejudice, it usually holds true—ministers are often less accepted and less effective in their hometowns. Familiarity breeds contempt, and the rise of someone formerly seen as an inferior often stirs envy. So when people refuse to be taught by someone they grew up with, it shouldn’t surprise us—it was Christ’s experience too.
He still did some good among them, despite their disregard, for he is kind even to the ungrateful. He laid his hands on a few sick people and healed them. It is generous and Christlike to find joy in doing good, even if people don’t recognize or appreciate it.
Still, he could do no great miracles there—at least not many—because of their unbelief, stirred by the prejudices their leaders had spread (Mark 6:5). It’s a striking expression, as if unbelief could limit even divine power. He would have performed more miracles, but they wouldn’t come to him or ask for his help. He could have worked wonders, but they forfeited the privilege. Unbelief and contempt for Christ cut off the flow of his blessings and close the door to his grace.
He was amazed at their unbelief (Mark 6:6). We only see Christ marveling at two things: the great faith of Gentile outsiders, like the centurion (Matthew 8:10), and the unbelief of his own people. The disbelief of those who have access to God’s truth is truly astonishing.
Then he went around the nearby villages teaching. If we can’t do good where we wish, we must do it where we can, and be thankful for any opportunity, even in small places. Often, the gospel finds a better reception in country villages, where there’s less wealth and pride, than in the big cities.