July 5, 2015
Sunday

“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.” Mark 6:3-6

“Mark’s account intrigues me as a student of human motivation. His hometown folks are, I would suspect, willing to give him the benefit of the doubt as long as he doesn’t say anything unexpected or challenging. They would not be inclined to doubt the source of his teachings if he had not made them feel uncomfortable. Their response to whatever it was he said reflects a combination of belief and incredulity. They seem to believe that what he said was of divine origin (“What is this wisdom that has been given to him?”), yet they are unable to believe that such a great gift would be given to someone they know and whose family they know.”

Following a Hometown Boy: Reflections on Mark 6:1-6 By Alyce M. McKenzie, July 02, 2012

When I graduated from Seminary in 2005, I was invited to my home congregation in Millersburg, PA to preach at the congregation’s year-long celebration for a significant anniversary. I was honored to be invited — and I looked forward to the opportunity — but I also dreaded it as well. You see, I was not always a “model” member of the congregation. Yes, I went through the entire “Luther League” program — I sang occasionally with the choir — I played my trumpet often for special music — and you could find my entire family sitting in our familiar pew most Sundays. But, I also had a reputation for being “hard to handle” — unable to sit for extended periods of time.

The day of my preaching came, and the service went off without a hitch. At the coffee hour following the service, several members of the congregation came to regale me of stories of my “storied” past in the congregation — and my other antics in scouts, school, etc. I left feeling as if I had suffered from a “sneak attack”. The people were well meaning, they just could not let go of my past — they remembered me as the rotten lad from the mid 70’s — and could not see me as the Pastor that I had become.

Thus, I believe, is the story of Jesus……he wasn’t a rotten lad, as far as we know — he just was remembered for who he used to be — and that was the problem.

Pastor Dave