He could do no mighty work there, except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them. And He marveled because of their unbelief

 Then He went out from there and came to His own country, and His disciples followed Him.  And when the Sabbath had come, he began to teach in the synagogue.  And many hearing Him were astonished, saying, "Where did this Man get these things?  And what wisdom is this which is given to Him, that such mighty works are performed by His hands!  Is this not the carpenter, the Son of Mary, and brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon?  And are not His sisters here with us?"  So they were offended at Him.  But Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor except in his own country, among his own relatives, and in his own house."  Now He could do no mighty work there, except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them.  And He marveled because of their unbelief.  Then He went about the villages in a circuit, teaching.

And He called the twelve to Himself, and began to send them out two by two, and gave them power over unclean spirits.  He commanded them to take nothing for the journey except a staff -- no bag, no bread, no copper in their money belts -- but to wear sandals, and not to put on two tunics.  Also He said to them, "In whatever place you enter a house, stay there till you depart from that place.  And whoever will not receive you nor hear you, when you depart from there, shake off the dust under your feet as a testimony against them.  Assuredly, I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city!"  So they went out and preached that people should repent.  And they cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many who were sick, and healed them.

- Mark 6:1-13

Yesterday we read that when Jesus had crossed over the Sea of Galilee again to Capernaum, a great multitude gathered to Him; and he was by the sea.  And behold, one of the rulers of the synagogue came, Jairus by name.  And when he saw Him, he fell at His feet and begged Him earnestly, saying, "My little daughter lies at the point of death.  Come and lay Your hands on her, that she may be healed, and she will live."  So Jesus went with him, and a great multitude followed Him and thronged Him.  Now a certain woman had a flow of blood for twelve years, and had suffered many things from many physicians.  She had spent all that she had and was no better, but rather grew worse.  When she heard about Jesus, she came behind Him in the crowd and touched his garment.  For she said, "If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well."  Immediately the fountain of her blood was dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of the affliction.  And Jesus, immediately knowing in Himself that power had gone out of Him, turned around in the crowd and said, "Who touched My clothes?"  But His disciples said to Him, "You see the multitude thronging You, and You say, 'Who touched Me?'"  And He looked around to see her who had done this thing.  But the woman, fearing and trembling, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell down before Him and told Him the whole truth.  And He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has made you well.  Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction."  While He was still speaking, some came from the ruler of the synagogue's house who said, "Your daughter is dead.  Why trouble the Teacher any further?"  As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, He said to the ruler of the synagogue, "Do not be afraid; only believe."  And He permitted no one to follow Him except Peter, James, and John the brother of James.  Then He came to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and saw a tumult and those who wept and wailed loudly.  When He came in, He said to them, "Why make this commotion and weep?  The child is not dead, but sleeping."  And they ridiculed Him.  But when he had put them all outside, He took the father and the mother of the child, and those who were with Him, and entered where the child was lying.  Then He took the child by the hand, and said to her, "Talitha, cumi," which is translated, "Little girl, I say to you, arise."  Immediately the girl arose and walked, for she was twelve years of age.  And they were overcome with great amazement.  But He commanded them strictly that no one should know it, and said that something should be given her to eat.

 Then He went out from there and came to His own country, and His disciples followed Him.  And when the Sabbath had come, he began to teach in the synagogue.  And many hearing Him were astonished, saying, "Where did this Man get these things?  And what wisdom is this which is given to Him, that such mighty works are performed by His hands!  Is this not the carpenter, the Son of Mary, and brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon?  And are not His sisters here with us?"  So they were offended at Him.   But Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor except in his own country, among his own relatives, and in his own house."  Now He could do no mighty work there, except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them.  And He marveled because of their unbelief.  Then He went about the villages in a circuit, teaching.   Jesus' own country is Nazareth in Galilee, the place where He was raised from childhood.   These are people in the synagogue who know His extended family.  (Brothers and sisters are terms frequently used for extended family and relatives such as cousins, nephews, and step-siblings both in Scripture and by custom in the Middle East.)   Their familiarity with Him and His "place" among them makes for a difficult adjustment to the reality of His ministry, and so they are offended at Him.  My study bible points out that the double response of being both astonished and offended happens frequently with those who encounter Christ (Luke 11:14-16; John 9:16).   Jesus' rejection in his own country foreshadows the rejection by the whole Jewish nation at the trial before Pilate (John 19:14-15).  This saying by Jesus, that a prophet is not without honor except in his own country, among his own relatives, and in his own house appears in all four Gospels (see also Matthew 13:57, Luke 4:24, John 4:44).  Even Jesus marveled because of their unbelief.  The other occasion upon which we're told Jesus marveled is at the faith of the centurion (Matthew 8:10, Luke 7:9).

And He called the twelve to Himself, and began to send them out two by two, and gave them power over unclean spirits.  He commanded them to take nothing for the journey except a staff -- no bag, no bread, no copper in their money belts -- but to wear sandals, and not to put on two tunics.  Also He said to them, "In whatever place you enter a house, stay there till you depart from that place.  And whoever will not receive you nor hear you, when you depart from there, shake off the dust under your feet as a testimony against them.  Assuredly, I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city!"  So they went out and preached that people should repent.  And they cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many who were sick, and healed them.   Mark tells us that the twelve were sent out on this first apostolic journey two by two.  In Matthew's Gospel, the apostles' names are given in pairs, suggesting who may have traveled with whom (Matthew 10:1-4).  We note the careful humility with which they are to accomplish their mission, which Jesus spells out quite explicitly and deliberately.  To stay in one house until they depart means not to "trade up" for better lodgings as they are accepted in a place.  Any rejection is simply to be met by shaking off the dust under their feet as they depart from there, as a testimony against them.  To anoint the sick with oil has not merely medicinal value but also sacramental value, my study bible notes.   It says, "As God's healing power is bestowed through creation (5:27; Numbers 21:8-9; 2 Kings 13:21; John 9:6-7; Acts 5:15, 19:11-12), so oil is a vehicle of God's mercy and healing in the Church (James 5:14)."

It's interesting to note that Jesus marvels twice in the Gospels.  One incident is with the rejection of His townspeople in Nazareth.  The other is at the faith displayed by the foreigner, the centurion, when Jesus said, "Assuredly, I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel!" (Matthew 8:10).  This word for marvel in the Greek has as its root the same word that's used in common modern language for "miracle."   (That He can do no mighty work due to the lack of faith in Nazareth is the Scriptural language for miracle.)  Marvel means in the context of the Scripture to cause amazement and wonder and astonishment.  That people marvel and wonder and are amazed is one thing.  But when Jesus Himself marvels we really have to be struck by this story.  How can the "knower of hearts" marvel?  What is it He is wondering at, this Creator who has assumed a fully human life and still remains divine?  He knows full well in advance that Judas plans to betray Him, He seems to know all that will happen, and a number of times we're told that He knows what is in men's hearts.  And so, why and how does He marvel at these times -- at the lack of faith of His townspeople in Nazareth, and at the great faith expressed by the centurion?   I'm certain that great theologians have pondered this question and perhaps have an answer that I am not aware of.  But to me this "amazing" phenomenon suggests that God knows each and every thing about us -- but that the great depth and mystery of faith is truly left  to something deep within us that answers with acceptance or rejection.  It almost seems as if the text is telling us that Jesus' incarnation as Messiah, this great cosmic mission that is at the center of all history, opens up revelations to amaze even the Creator Himself.  How human beings respond to the "God-man," Christ, becomes a revelation to all of Creation, and even to the Lord.  Oh, I am certain that in the fullness of the reality of the Trinity, all things are known; but nevertheless, human free will does indeed remain an intriguing mystery.  It is the boundary that God will not cross, for God does not compel us to love God.  Jesus' messianic mission as the Son who is both fully human and fully divine sets off sparks and ripples that continue to amaze, to create wonder, and, I personally imagine, to dazzle a universe via the human responses it creates and builds.  (Today's reading, after all, gives us the first apostolic mission, in which Christ's power is shared with those human beings whose faith is such that they grow from disciples to apostles.)  Jesus Himself said He didn't come to bring peace but a sword, and in this division between the faith of the centurion and the lack of faith of His townspeople, we can see what He's talking about.  So much depends upon just our response.  Can we overcome the "worldly" influence of familiarity or set ways of thinking or values we need to discard?  The centurion has himself been able to do so in having faith in Christ and Christ's power.  Jesus' fellow townspeople have not, and so His power does not work among them -- there is no human faith to connect with His power to heal.  Let us marvel as well at this tremendous mystery of both our creation and Creator -- the One who has given us so much contained within us, and who depends upon us to return His love.   God knows our hearts.  The question of faith asks us if we can "know" God.