Mark 6: 1-6 (NLT)
Jesus left that part of the country and returned with his disciples to Nazareth, his hometown. The next Sabbath he began teaching in the synagogue, and many who heard him were amazed. They asked, “Where did he get all this wisdom and the power to perform such miracles?” Then they scoffed, “He’s just a carpenter, the son of Mary and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas, and Simon. And his sisters live right here among us.” They were deeply offended and refused to believe in him. Then Jesus told them, “A prophet is honored everywhere except in his own hometown and among his relatives and his own family.” And because of their unbelief, he couldn’t do any miracles among them except to place his hands on a few sick people and heal them. And he was amazed at their unbelief. Then Jesus went from village to village, teaching the people.
Of the many voices of my generation, Billy Corgan’s screeching vocals are arguably the most unique. In the song nobodies, the Smashing Pumpkins singer wails, “nobodies ever knew, nobodies… nobodies felt like you, nobodies.” As I read this portion of the Scripture, it summons thoughts of these lyrics.
In the eyes of the world, Jesus was a nobody. Obviously, I don’t mean this disrespectfully, but it is truth. We have mentioned before in our studies that Jesus adopted the human condition as His own. He forsook heaven for the hell of earth. He essentially became a nobody. Take a gander at his rap sheet and you’ll see the proof: conceived to an unmarried, teenage mom, born among livestock, son of a working stiff, a carpenter by trade, from a forsaken village, no religious or family titles, no claim to fame, no money, nobody. His own friends and family saw no inherent value in Him.
We may empathize with Christ here. We may walk in relationship with Jesus, casting off our old, sinful ways and living righteously before God. We may even serve in ministries and give back a portion of what the Lord has given us, accomplishing great things in the process. And yet, despite all of this, we still encounter people who knew us before and who can’t get over how regular we seem. To put it bluntly, can’t get over the fact that we were once a nobody, but are now a somebody through Jesus. They want to drag us down because they still feel like nobodies, people without purpose, direction, or Jesus.
We shouldn’t be ashamed of our former nobody status because it’s a glowing reminder of what Jesus does for people who cry out to Him. He grants us love, purpose, and power. We may shine in our hometown or, like Jesus, be sent to the surrounding areas.
We may even be sent 500 miles away to a place we never knew existed! (Inside joke)
