The Gospel According to Mark: Jesus the Suffering Servantنموونە

Have you ever felt misunderstood by the people who know you best? Jesus experienced that, even in his hometown among his own family and friends. It’s difficult when it feels like people don’t really see, know, or understand you. But notice how Jesus responded when that happened to him. He didn’t walk away. He didn’t yell. He didn’t whine, complain, or act like a victim. He just went about his business, doing what he came to do, with a positive and kind attitude. The story in verses 1-6 both shows us what Jesus is really like and also gives us an example of how we can live in a similar situation.

Other stories, like the one about Jesus sending out his disciples (verses 6-12), are a little different. They tell us about events that actually happened during Jesus’ life, but don’t offer a blueprint for specific things we should do today. If we tried to use this story as a how-to guide for serving Jesus, we would:

1. always travel in groups of exactly two
2. never pack for a journey (except a walking stick)
3. never bring food, luggage, or money when serving Jesus
4. never bring a change of clothes when serving Jesus
5. reject people who reject Jesus

That’s obviously not what the story teaches us.

There is always something to learn from the Bible, but sometimes it’s not right there on the surface. In this story, when Jesus sent his followers to do his work, they went and did it right away, just as he said. They were faithful and obedient. That’s an example we can all learn from.

Focused Reflection

verses 1-6 (Jesus rejected in his hometown)

• Why do you think people questioned Jesus’ true identity in this scene?
• Have you ever felt doubted or questioned by people you know and love? How did you respond?

verse 12

• How would you explain what it means to repent of sin and turn to God? What did that look like in your own life?

General Reflection

• What do you learn about Jesus from this passage?
• What do you learn about following Jesus from this passage?

Extra Info

• Jesus was known as a great teacher and a prophet. The Old Testament prophets spoke God's messages to the people. Many books in the Old Testament include stories about the prophets, including Elijah. Some books contain the actual messages of the prophets. The “major” prophets are Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel. The books named after them are quite long. The “minor” prophets are Daniel, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi. Though Elijah doesn't have a book named after him, he was one of the most important prophets of Israel. You can read about him in 2 Kings.