Matthew 13:53 ¶ And it came
to pass, that when Jesus had finished these parables, he departed
thence. 54 And when he was come into his
own country, he taught them in their synagogue, insomuch that they were
astonished, and said, Whence hath this man this wisdom, and these
mighty works? 55 Is not this the
carpenter’s son? is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren, James, and
Joses, and Simon, and Judas? 56 And his
sisters, are they not all with us? Whence then hath this man all these
things? 57 And they were offended in
him. But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, save in his own
country, and in his own house. 58 And he
did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief.
The people that saw Jesus, the man, grow up from a child are
amazed. He was not trained as a scholar nor did He sit at the feet of the
learned doctors at the temple. We did not see but one time that he was said to
have been asking questions. It looks like it might have been a back and forth
when he was only twelve years old as the verse seems to read.
Luke 2:46 And it came to
pass, that after three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst
of the doctors, both hearing them, and asking them questions.
The religious elite is often amazed at the depth of understanding
of someone who is not respected as a scholar but thought of as a common person.
Acts 4:13 Now when they saw
the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and
ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had
been with Jesus.
Jesus doesn’t talk like the religious elite, parroting rules and
interpretations they’ve been taught.
John 7:15 And the Jews
marvelled, saying, How knoweth this man letters, having never learned?
Mark 6:2 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?
But, His own people, the Jews, generally did not receive Him or
His authority.
John 1:11 He came unto his
own, and his own received him not.
Christ chose not to bless them with His works because they would
not believe. This in no way means that He could not because of their unbelief
as we’ve seen many things He has done without even the recipient understanding
who He was. But an unbelieving person has no reason to receive a blessing from
God and he or she may descend further and further to a point where there is no
more chance for them because they will neither accept His authority or even
acknowledge who He is.
For an instance where a person was willing to be healed, and who
would be, but did not know who Jesus even was, see;
John 5:13 And he that was
healed wist not who it was: for Jesus had conveyed himself away, a multitude
being in that place.
And see where God heals a man who is not even of the household of
God, a heathen man; Naaman the Syrian in 2Kings 5.
Our unbelief in no way hinders God’s will if He is simply not
responding to our unbelief but has some other purpose for blessing us with His mighty
works. Clearly, Naaman wanted to be healed but first he demanded it of the
king of Israel and then of Elisha.
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