Jesus notes a proverb that was just proven true. A prophet has no dishonor, except in his hometown. When a prophet goes on tour, he is applauded and respected as God’s authoritative emissary, but he comes home and gets no respect. And Jesus extends this proverb to include his relatives and his own household. This implies that his mother and siblings are not supportive of Jesus. They are ashamed of him and judge him as taboo. Our Lord forms this proverb based on the Old Testament. He claims for himself the office of prophet, and he resembles the prophets of old.
There is a sentiment going around nowadays with increasing frequency, which can be summed up as, “That offends me!” People seem to get offended at the drop of a hat as though there is no greater sin than to offend someone. If you offend someone, then you have deep moral failings and phobias that need to be acknowledged and fixed. The offender is always in the wrong, while the offended one is blameless and beyond reproach.
If someone is so easily offended, maybe the issue isn’t with others but with them. At times, it is surely wrong to be offensive, but what if there are times that it is equally problematic to be offended? And it is this line of reasoning that our Lord sets before us as he takes the weekend to visit his hometown:
[Jesus] went away from there and came to his hometown, and his disciples followed him. And on the Sabbath he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astonished, saying, “Where did this man get these things? What is the wisdom given to him? How are such mighty works 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. And Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor, except in his hometown and among his relatives and in his own household.” And 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. (Mark 6:1-6)
Our Lord just raised the daughter of Jairus from the dead. A mom and dad got to hold the warm flesh of their girl, who was just moments before a cold corpse. The power of our Savior shattered the grip of death, and it tenderly hands a daughter back to her dad. Yet, Jesus is not one to let the grass grow underneath his feet. The Father sent him to be a traveling preacher, so he must continue his journey. And Mark places him next in his hometown. The approximately thirty-mile walk from the Sea of Galilee to his family estate is glossed over without event.
Nazareth was the family residence for the clan of Jesus.
We know from chapter 1 that Jesus is from Nazareth. An impure spirit even called him Jesus of Nazareth. Mark, though, is not interested in the name of this village, but he underscores that this is the fatherland of our Lord. This is where Jesus grew up, went to school, and found a job. Despite any connections his family had with Bethlehem, Nazareth is the family residence for the clan of Jesus.
Estimates put the population of Nazareth maybe as high as 1,600 in the first century, not very big, and family extended beyond just your immediate household to include cousins, aunts, and grand-parents. In a small village like this, it was not uncommon to be related to half the town. Yet, your hometown was not just about the address of where you went to elementary school. Rather, in the ancient world, your origin forecasted your destiny. Heroes hailed from prestigious locations. Insignificant hamlets gave birth to people of little consequence. Your fatherland determined your station and lot in life.
And if you attempted to advance beyond your station, it was looked upon with suspicion and contempt. A warm welcome is by no means guaranteed for our Lord. Though, as is his habit, Jesus heads to the synagogue on the Sabbath to do some teaching, and the elders are happy to let Jesus fill the pulpit for the day.
The Nazarene congregation’s response to the teaching of Jesus takes a sour turn.
The people hear Jesus’ teaching, and they are amazed and astonished. This is not a happy surprise; rather, it is disturbing and overwhelming. They are impressed—but not in a good way. Where did this man get these things?
The people of Nazareth are bothered by a gross mismatch. On the one hand, these teachings are impressive and excellent. They admit Jesus’ instruction is full of wisdom; it is astute, profound, and relayed with the confidence of an expert. Yet, how can such big words come from such a small man? Note they won’t even name Jesus. They point to him as this man and basically charge Jesus with plagiarism, with stealing intellectual property. Where did this guy get such teaching? Who gave him such wisdom? It sure couldn’t come from him!
By this question, the people actually testify against themselves. To give or grant wisdom is a biblical idiom; it is found throughout the Old Testament and the New Testament. And everywhere it appears, the clear and unambiguous answer is God. God alone is the true source and giver of wisdom. They recognize wisdom in Jesus, but they consider it unthinkable. They question not just the possibility of it, but the suitability of it. And they think the same about his mighty works. How can this guy do miracles? It just feels wrong to them.
The people think teaching is for rabbis and intellectuals, not for illiterate carpenters like Jesus.
The people of Nazareth make this clear by answering their own questions: Where did this guy get such excellent instruction? Is he not a carpenter? There is no way a carpenter should be able to teach like this. Teaching is for rabbis and intellectuals, not for illiterate carpenters. Now, the word here for carpenter is the more general word meaning smith.
The word smith refers to a craftsman, who can work with a variety of materials. In Greek sources, this word does more often refer to a craftsman of wood and lumber, a carpenter. Yet, in the Old Testament it is used for those who work with wood, stone, bronze, or iron. Jesus could be a blacksmith, a stone-mason, or a carpenter. We don’t know his preferred material.
Either way, the point of mentioning Jesus’ profession is about class; namely, the contrast between the class of smiths and that of the intellectuals. A smith would generally be illiterate, except for business dealings, while the skill of wise instruction comes from those who were wealthy and could afford fancy private schools or tutors.
The Nazarenes are affronted that Jesus exceeds and overreaches beyond his station.
Being a smith was not necessarily a shameful thing; in fact, skilled craftsmen were an important part of human capital for a city. Yet, the educated elite did look down on them, as being below them. The sophisticated nobility were too good for such labor as working with their hands, to get sweaty and a tan.
More so, if a blacksmith attempted to be a scholar, to rub shoulders with nobles, then it was dishonorable. The smith was exalting himself above his station; he was doing things not proper for him.