Mark 6:4

Verse of the Day Devotion.  Mark 6:4

 “And Jesus said to them, A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown and among his own relatives and in his own household.” – Mark 6:4

We now see Jesus coming back to Nazareth to minister. “And He went out from there, and He came into His hometown; and His disciples followed Him.” Mark 6:1. Jesus here arrives in His hometown of Nazareth. It is called His hometown because it was where He was conceived in Mary via the Holy Spirit, and where He was raised and educated. He was willing to go there because He knew many of the citizens and that they could take advantage of what he had to teach and show through His miraculous ways.

Then He began to teach. In order to speak in the synagogue you needed to be invited, and because of Jesus’ invitation to speak in the synagogue, this indicates he had become well-known as a teacher. He says, “And when the Sabbath had come, 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?” Mark 6:2b. When the Sabbath arrived, He started teaching in the synagogue, and there were many listening to what He had to say. But there were those who were listening that were questioning what they saw. They asked, where did He acquire the ability to teach like this, and where did He get the ability to heal like He was doing? They asked these questions about the source of Jesus’ wisdom and power because of the fact He had not studied with a rabbi and therefore did not have the proper credentials.

Then they began questioning His humble beginnings. “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.” Mark 6:3. There is a question as to what actually was said. Was it, “Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary?” Or was it, “Is not this the son of the carpenter and Mary?” I am not going to answer this specifically, however it would be most unusual to refer to a Jewish man as the son of his mother even if she was a widow. But either way, they found it difficult to believe he was any better than His parents or family. In their opinion he was nothing more than an ordinary person who worked as a carpenter. Their physical knowledge of Jesus prevented them from having a spiritual knowledge of who He was. And because of this, they were offended by Jesus.

However, Jesus heard what they were saying and responded to their comments. “And Jesus said to them, A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown and among his own relatives and in his own household.” Mark 6:4. The idea Jesus cited is found in various forms in Jewish and pagan literature and is a truism. The early church did not use the title ‘prophet’ because it was inadequate. The words “relatives” and “house” indicate that Jesus’ family joined with their neighbors in rejecting his claims. We read in Mark 3, the following. “And He came home, and the multitude gathered again, to such an extent that they could not even eat a meal. And when His own people heard of this, they went out to take custody of Him; for they were saying, He has lost His senses.” Mark 3:20-21. The phrase ‘His own people’ can be understood as ‘His own kinsmen’. We see later in this chapter that people were saying He was the resurrected John the Baptist. “And King Herod heard of it, for His name had become well known; and people were saying, John the Baptist has risen from the dead, and that is why these miraculous powers are at work in Him.” Mark 6:14.

And lastly we read. “And He could do no miracle there except that He laid His hands upon a few sick people and healed them. And He wondered at their unbelief. And He was going around the villages teaching.” Mark 6:5-6. We see here that Jesus’ work was limited because of the unbelief of the people. This was in respect to God’s principle of partnership with man. God may work with no belief, but not with unbelief.

And this was just the beginning of His rejection.  Later, as we move through Mark and the other gospels, we see the Jewish Leadership rejecting Him for they did not see how He fit in their belief structure regarding the Messiah. Theirs was not a could not, but a would not believe issue. In these verses, His family and neighbors in Nazareth rejected Him because they pretty much saw Him as a simple carpenter as well as Mary and Joseph’s child. They could not see Jesus any other way, for they watched Him grow up and mature. But as His ministry moves forward, we see many who began to believe as the His life here proceeded. According to the apostle John, “For not even His brothers were believing in Him.” John 7:5. That’s incredible. Those who had lived with Jesus for 30 years really did not know him. Not one of Jesus’s brothers is mentioned as a disciple during his pre-crucifixion ministry. But after his resurrection and ascension, there they are in the upper room worshiping him as God. “These all with one mind were continually devoting themselves to prayer, along with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers.” Acts 1:14.

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries, Inc.

Isaiah 29:13

Verse of the Day Devotion Isaiah 29:13 

“Then the Lord said, “Because this people draw near with their words and honor Me with their lip service, but they remove their hearts far from Me, and their reverence for Me consists of tradition learned by rote.” –  Isaiah 29:13

In Isaiah 29, Isaiah is prophesying against Jerusalem and, by extension, the rest of Judah. He predicts judgment on the kingdom due to their sin, judgment that will come through invading armies.  “And I will camp against you encircling you, And I will set siegeworks against you, And I will raise up battle towers against you. Then you shall be brought low; From the earth you shall speak, And from the dust where you are prostrate, Your words shall come. Your voice shall also be like that of a spirit from the ground, And your speech shall whisper from the dust.“ Isaiah 29:3-4. However, the prophet also affirms that God is incredibly graceful and will restore Judah after bringing justice upon their enemies. “But the multitude of your enemies shall become like fine dust, And the multitude of the ruthless ones like the chaff which blows away; And it shall happen instantly, suddenly.” Isaiah 29:5.

In the middle of Isaiah’s prophecy, he diagnoses Judah’s problem of hypocrisy, which is bringing about their judgment: “Then the Lord said, “Because this people draw near with their words and honor Me with their lip service, But they remove their hearts far from Me, and their reverence for Me consists of tradition learned by rote,” Isaiah 29:13. In essence, while the Israelites were saying the right things, their hearts were far from God.

And unfortunately, they continued this during the time of Jesus.  “And he said to them, Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honor me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.”  Mark 7:6-7.  Jesus, here, quotes this verse in an important confrontation with the Pharisees. They, too, had hearts far from God. The Pharisees pretended to care about God’s law by following outward acts like handwashing, but they did not care about God on the inside. When they met God in the person of Jesus, they tried to kill Him!  Then Jesus scathingly summarized their heart condition: “You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to human traditions.” Mark 7:8. The Pharisees still did religious things but had forgotten the reasons behind their actions. They said the right things, but their hearts were far from God.

As Christians, we are tempted to do the same as the hypocritical Israelites. Sometimes, it is easy to maintain the outward appearance of obedience to God by following a set of rules yet lack any real relationship with God in our hearts. We can sing the worship and praise songs without focusing on who we are worshipping and praising. We end up going through the motions without growing in love for God or for others. We might faithfully go to church every Sunday but ignore God the rest of the week. Like the Pharisees and the ancient Israelites, faking it is not spiritually healthy, and it will eventually catch up with us.  The idea is that it is more important why we do something rather than what we do.  Two people can be singing at the same time with clapping and joy, but only one may be glorifying God while doing it.

Our focus verse is a stark reminder that rules and rituals, by themselves, cannot please God. God wants true righteousness and with that, true worship. God wants us to love Him and our fellow man with everything we are. “And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.  There is no other commandment greater than these.”  Mark 12:30-31.  And finally, God tells us what He desires from us.  “For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.” Hosea 6:6.  Therefore, we must examine why we obey God.  Is it because we want to follow the rules, or that we want to show are love to Him.  If it is the latter, then our heart is part of our time with God.

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries.

Luke 14:8

Verse of the Day Devotion Luke 14:8 

“When you are invited by someone to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor, lest someone more distinguished than you may have been invited by him.” – Luke 14:8

Today we will look at the Parable of the Invited Guest.  Here is this parable as found in Luke’s gospel.

“And He began speaking a parable to the invited guests when He noticed how they had been picking out the places of honor at the table, saying to them, when you are invited by someone to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor, lest someone more distinguished than you may have been invited by him, and he who invited you both shall come and say to you, give place to this man, and then in disgrace you proceed to occupy the last place. But when you are invited, go and recline at the last place, so that when the one who has invited you comes, he may say to you, ‘Friend, move up higher’; then you will have honor in the sight of all who are at the table with you. For everyone who exalts himself shall be humbled, and he who humbles himself shall be exalted.” Luke 14:7-11.

Jesus was in the house of one of the leaders of the Pharisees on the Sabbath and eating with them.  “And it came about when He went into the house of one of the leaders of the Pharisees on the Sabbath to eat bread, that they were watching Him closely.” Luke 14:1. While there He healed a man suffering from dropsy.  This was a disease produced by the accumulation of water in various parts of the body; very distressing, and commonly incurable. Jesus turns to the Pharisees and asks them if it was lawful to heal on the Sabbath.  But when they did not answer, He healed him and sent him on his way. He then asked them, “Which one of you shall have a son or an ox fall into a well, and will not immediately pull him out on a Sabbath day?” Luke 14:5.  Again they did not answer. Then He noticed how people strategically placed themselves so as to be in the best places; that is, the places of most honor.

In Jesus’ day, the seating arrangement at a dinner showed a definite order of prestige or honor. The most honored person sat in a particular seat, the next most honored person in another place, and so on down the line.  This parable presupposes a culture of honor and shame in ancient Jewish and Hellenistic societies and illustrates these cultures by means of seating order at banquets.  Guests here are literally those invited and refers to the Pharisees and experts of the law mentioned above.  He then tells them, “When you are invited by someone to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor, lest someone more distinguished than you may have been invited by him, and he who invited you both shall come and say to you, ‘Give place to this man,’ and then in disgrace you proceed to occupy the last place.” Luke 14:8-9.  To ‘take the place’ literally means ‘do not recline’. To be told to move in this manner would be humiliating, for one, you would be told to move that someone they viewed as more important could sit there, and two, you would need to find a place to recline in the least honorable places. 

Then He adds, “But when you are invited, go and recline at the last place, so that when the one who has invited you comes, he may say to you, Friend, move up higher; then you will have honor in the sight of all who are at the table with you.” Luke 14:10. In other words, do not put yourself in the pace of honor, but allow the one who invited you move you up to a better place, for then you will be looked at positively as one who is honored, instead of being humiliated.  This is the basic idea as stated in verse 11. “For everyone who exalts himself shall be humbled, and he who humbles himself shall be exalted.” Luke 14:11.

The general idea is we have to learn not to be high minded or arrogant, but to be content with more lowly things, because pride and ambition are disgraceful before men: forwhosoever exalts himself shall be abased;but humility and self-denial are really honorable: he that humbles himself shall be exalted, We see in other instances that a man’s pride will bring him low, but honor shall uphold the humble in spirit, and before honor is humility. The Pharisees seek to exalt themselves, and in so doing they cease being models and rulers of God’s people. God’s way is not their way.  We must be careful that we do not place ourselves on a pedestal.  Paul put it this way. “For through the grace given to me I say to every man among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith.” Romans 12:3. 

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries. 

Exodus 20:12

Verse of the Day Devotion: Exodus 20:12

“Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be prolonged in the land which the LORD your God gives you.” – Exodus 20:12

In the last Daily Devotion, we looked at not using the name of the Lord in a way that was vain and not honorable and reverent which He is worthy of.  The first four commandments were on are found on what is known as the first tablet, addressing our relationship.  These next six are found on the second tablet which addresses our relationship with our fellow man.  This goes perfectly with what Jesus said to the Sadducee that asked Him what the greatest commandment was.  “And He said to him, YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND. This is the great and foremost commandment. The second is like it, YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF. On these two commandments depend on the whole Law and the Prophets.”  Matthew 22:37-40.  Note the two parts.  “You shall love the Lord your God” goes with the first tablet; commandments 1-4, while “Love you neighbor as yourself” goes with the second tablet; commandments 5-10.

The word “honor” comes from the same Hebrew word from which “glory” does.  We are to show them reverence as Moses said in Leviticus.  “Every one of you shall reverence his mother and his father, and you shall keep My sabbaths; I am the LORD your God.” Leviticus 19:3. This is not to infer that we are to worship them, but that we honor them for who they are, our parents, the ones who gave birth to us and cared for us when we could not care for ourselves.  We should come when they call, go where they send us, and do what they bid us to do.  We are not to do what they tell us not to do, in all things doing them cheerfully and out of love.  We are to respect them and respect their advice, for they desire the best for us. 

Paul wrote this to the Church in Ephesus regarding this verse. “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. HONOR YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER (which is the first commandment with a promise), SO THAT IT MAY BE WELL WITH YOU, AND THAT YOU MAY LIVE LONG ON THE EARTH.” Ephesians 6:1-3.  Paul is emphasizing the promise in this commandment, that being “that your days may be prolonged in the land which the LORD your God gives you.” Exodus 20:12b.  We see a clarification of this in Deuteronomy.  “Honor your father and your mother, as the LORD your God has commanded you, that your days may be prolonged and that it may go well with you on the land which the LORD your God gives you.” Deuteronomy 5:16.  If they honor them, things will go well for them in the land which the Lord has given them.  Long life was considered a blessing in itself.  And the wording “that your days may be prolonged and that it may go well with you on the land which the LORD your God gives you.” denotes the blessing of a long and fruitful life.

It is important that we honor our parents by following their advice and obeying them.  They gave birth to us and they spent many years taking care of us, and preparing us for the life we live now, and will live if we are still at home.  Too many kids today do not listen to their parents, and they find themselves getting in trouble from going astray.  And as adults, we should still listen to our parents for they can be the source of much wisdom.  They can tell us times where they were struggling and help us not to struggle in the same way.  Therefore, listen to what they say and do not ignore them  Learn from their mistakes and their wisdom.  Things will go well if we do.

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries.