He marveled because of their unbelief • Deshen Daily

And he marveled because of their unbelief. And he went round about the villages, teaching (Mark 6:6 KJV)

He marveled because of their unbelief showing Jesus sad

There are only two recorded events in the scriptures that amazed Jesus. The first is the great faith of the Roman Centurion as recorded in Luke 7:9, and the second is the unbelief of the people of Jesus’s hometown. How astonishing that faith and unbelief are the only two qualities that marveled the Lord!

Jesus visited His hometown, returning to the people who knew Him from childhood. They had seen Him grow up as a young boy, then the carpenter down the street, and then they heard He was now a mighty prophet. They could not handle it. They vehemently refused to accept His ministry because of familiarity.

There are two simple truths I want you to remember from this devotional. First is unbelief marvels the Lord. He is amazed when our hearts are hardened, and we do not believe what He tells us. Second, one cause of unbelief is familiarity. God will not use angels to minister to you directly. Instead, He will use men and women, some of whom you will know well, including their weaknesses. Your knowledge of the person God is using can be your greatest enemy because it can harden your heart and close your eyes from seeing the spiritual treasure in the person you know.

Beware of unbelief and familiarity.

Do you think you would have behaved differently if Jesus was your childhood friend and then later told you He was the Son of God? I certainly would have had issues with that too!

What Jesus does is what the Father and the Spirit will do. It means the Holy Spirit marvels when our hearts are hardened, and we do not believe the Word. Familiarity was the cause in this case. What about the other things that harden our hearts? Do you know doctrine, personal preferences, theology, etc., can harden our hearts the same way? Beware of unbelief and all its causes!

Ask the Father to help you always to protect your heart from unbelief.

Watch Deshen Live Bible Study: What is Faith?