Without Faith

Jesus now returns to his hometown of Nazareth—the place where he had grown up. Remember what it may have been like for him, as seen in Psalm 69:12? This was likely a place of pain in his youth—the elders debating what to do with him, and even the town drunkards making up songs about him. Now, as an adult, he comes back to teach in the synagogue on the Sabbath. What will happen?

Questions from your reading

• What does this passage reveal about the person of Jesus?
• Why were the people in his hometown so angry? (v. 28)
• What was their real issue with Jesus? See also his later visit in Mark 6:1–6.
• What other questions do you still have?

Reflecting on your reading

What a dramatic shift in mood! At first, Jesus reads from the prophet Isaiah, and everyone is riveted—deeply moved and amazed. Look again at verse 22. The people speak well of Jesus, surprised that someone they know—“Isn’t this Joseph’s son?”—could read and teach with such authority. Then comes the turning point.

By verse 28, everything has changed. The crowd is enraged. They want to throw Jesus off a cliff.

How did things turn so quickly?

Reread verses 23–27. It’s here that Jesus anticipates their demands—they want him to do in Nazareth what they’ve heard he did in Capernaum. He responds not with signs or wonders, but with stories—reminders of how, in the days of Elijah and Elisha, God worked miracles not for the Israelites, but for outsiders. Gentiles. Foreigners. Jesus says, in essence, “Because of your lack of faith, you will not see the wonders you expect. Instead—just like in the days of old—God will move among those who believe, and they may not be from here.”

That was the breaking point. To imply that Gentiles would receive God’s blessing while his own people—his own neighbours—would not, was more than they could bear.

Why was Jesus so direct? Because faith matters. Mark 6:4–6 gives more insight: Jesus was amazed at their lack of faith. Without faith, the work of God is hindered. Yes, God can work apart from faith—and sometimes does—but most often, he chooses to involve those who trust and obey.

So, how is your faith? Do you want to see God move? Live by faith—and you’ll begin to see the impossible take shape right in front of you.

Faith is essential. Without it, it is impossible to please God (Heb. 11:6). Dig deeper into the stories of Elijah and Elisha—you’ll see example after example of faith in action.

Applying what you’ve read

Faith is the key to walking with Jesus. When you choose to live by faith rather than sight, God’s power is ignited in your life. The word faithful isn’t just about loyalty—it literally means “full of faith.” That’s the kind of person God is looking for: someone whose faith is in him—not in self, achievements, governments, ideals or possessions.

The object of your faith is everything.

You won’t trust someone you don’t know. And the more you know God, the more you’ll trust and obey him—that’s how faith grows.

Today, talk with a friend about what it means to live by faith and to be faithful. Let the conversation stretch your thinking.

Want to go deeper?

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