Ein Geddi

Jesus went out from there and came into His hometown; and His disciples followed Him. ² When the Sabbath came, He began to teach in the synagogue; and the many listeners were astonished, saying, “Where did this man get these things, and what is this wisdom given to Him, and such miracles as these performed by His hands? ³ Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? Are not His sisters here with us?” And they took offense at Him. ⁴ Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown and among his own relatives and in his own household.” ⁵ And He could do no miracle there except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them. ⁶ And He wondered at their unbelief. Mark 6:1-6

Jesus crisscrossed the Sea of Galilee going from countryside to villages teaching, opening blind eyes, casting out demons, healing all who came to Him, and raising a little girl from the dead.

Word of this Miracle-Worker had spread throughout the region.

Jesus went to His hometown with His disciples, and on the Sabbath, He began to teach in the synagogue.

Where did this man get these things, and what is this wisdom given to Him, and such miracles as these performed by His hands? Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? Are not His sisters here with us?”

Friends and neighbors of Jesus’ family acknowledged that He had been given wisdom and that He had performed miracles, but they knew Him as the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, Joses, Judas, Simon, and His sisters.

And He could do no miracle there except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them.

I consumed the Scriptures and believed that the miracles and healings recorded in the Bible actually happened. But I had been taught that the miracles and healings were for the early church and not for today, except for an occasional miracle or healing.

Although Jesus’ hometown friends and neighbors heard extraordinary wisdom come from the lips of Jesus, they were offended … Jesus was a carpenter! Although Jesus worked miracles, His family lived in Nazareth.

I believed that Jesus could work miracles, that Jesus could heal … others.

Just as those in Nazareth, I limited Jesus, and Jesus is a gentleman; He will not cross boundaries that we draw.

It took two years of praying and Bible study after God told Keith and me that He was going to heal me of fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome. During those two years, we learned to drop our expectation of the ordinary and to wait in great expectation for the extraordinary: a healing.

Three years after the Lord healed me, He is breaking down walls other people have placed on Jesus as they witness what He has accomplished in my body.

People who knew me when I was pain-riddled, still ask me how I am feeling.

I’m healed!

Still, I have other walls that I’ve placed around Jesus. I’m praying and studying to break those walls down as well.

My prayer for you

Jesus, You are all about faith, expectation, and possibility. You are our hope. Teach us to lean You. Guide us as we learn of You. Show us how we are limiting You and enable us to remove those boundaries, so that we invite You to accomplish Your great works in our lives.

How are you limiting Jesus?

Walls can’t come crashing down without the leading of the Holy Spirit.

Step out as the Holy Spirit guides you.