With great power comes great… inconvenience and offence?

Every day we’re asking four questions about part of the Bible. Today Bern Leckie answers:

What did I like about today’s passage?

I've been seeing from Genesis and Mark that God likes doing incredible things. I love how Jesus’ power seems to be increasingly amplified, visible and accessible in this passage. Now his followers can heal people too!

This power isn’t just pushing against unbelief, but active opposition. Some people can see what Jesus is doing, but don’t want it to affect their lives too much. They are inconvenienced in their work and offended in their hearts. In some cases, the push back against God’s kingdom is deadly – John the Baptist lost his head. Nevertheless, God’s power is seen to be greater and promises to overcome fear with love.

What did it show me about Father God, Jesus or the Holy Spirit?

These things show that Jesus wasn't just building a legend around himself. He took followers, through struggle and at risk of their lives, into the better life of God's kingdom. Jesus showed, through miracles, that he had authority to do that, but what he most wants to do is inspire our faith.

There's an intriguing bit in chapter 6 verse 5, when people don't have faith - "[Jesus] could not do any miracles there, except lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them." I think this means that God's coming kingdom is not about God showing off more, but us believing more.

What am I going to do differently as a result?

Believe more, doubt less. Jesus has already proven that our prayers can be answered.

Who am I going to share this with?

I'm going to ask some of my family to carry on some long-ongoing conversation about what they think of Jesus, and see if they identify with anyone in these stories!