He left that place and came to his hometown, and his disciples followed him.  On the Sabbath he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astounded.  They said, "Where did this man get all this?  What is this wisdom that has been given to him?  What deeds of power are being done by his hands!  Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon, and are not his sisters here with us?"  And they took offense at him.  Then Jesus said to them, "Prophets are not without honor, except in their hometown, and among their own kin, and in their own house."  And he could do no deed of power there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and cured them.  And he was amazed at their unbelief.  Then he went about among the villages teaching.

First let us put ourselves into this passage and accuse ourselves.  We too often act like we know Jesus and his origin.  We limit his action in our lives by our narrow concept of God as one who rewards the good and punishes the bad.  For many, God is less of a mystery than the wonders of the universe or even another human person.  Some will spend their lives meditating on the wonders of the cosmos or give their lives over to romantic infatuations because they are caught up in things that are beyond them.  But they pay little heed to God who alone is worthy of such abandonment because they see the Word as a lifeless historical book or they have had a negative experience of a prayer gone unanswered.  Many take offense at God today because he does not act how they think he ought.  Are any of us guiltless of this?

Next we see how Jesus wills our cooperation in performing deeds of power; he often wills his activity to be a function of our faith.  We see this unfold beautifully in the raising of Lazarus.  "I am the resurrection... do you believe this?" he asks Martha. And again, "did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?" (John 11.26, 40)  Unfortunately we use our past negative experiences of faith to drive present expectations.  "The Lord's mercies are new every day" (Lamentations 3.22) and so daily we should go to him, like the persistent widow (Luke 18.5).

It is a disturbing thought that we can amaze Jesus by our lack of faith.  It speaks much to the mystery of free will that we can surprise our own Creator by our unbelief.  Knowing this, what kind of effort must we not put forth to increase our faith?

Finally, as it was with Jesus so it will be for us, his children and disciples.  We will always find it most difficult to be a disciple or prophet among those who know us best: in the midst of our family and at our workplace.  "I know you, don't try to be acting holy among us who know your origins," we may hear.  And so real change is co-opted by fear of ridicule, misunderstanding or loss of human fellowship.  What are we to do but bind ourselves more closely in love, fidelity and obedience to he who has gone before us.