Where did this man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers?

Matthew 13:47-58 (NASB) from the daily reading in the One Year Bible

 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet cast into the sea, and gathering fish of every kind; ⁴⁸ and when it was filled, they drew it up on the beach; and they sat down and gathered the good fish into containers, but the bad they threw away. ⁴⁹ So it will be at the end of the age; the angels will come forth and take out the wicked from among the righteous, ⁵⁰ and will throw them into the furnace of fire; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

⁵¹ “Have you understood all these things?” They *said to Him, “Yes.” ⁵² And Jesus said to them, “Therefore every scribe who has become a disciple of the kingdom of heaven is like a head of a household, who brings out of his treasure things new and old.”

Jesus Revisits Nazareth

⁵³ When Jesus had finished these parables, He departed from there. ⁵⁴ He came to His hometown and began teaching them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished, and said, “Where did this man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers? ⁵⁵ Is not this the carpenter’s son? Is not His mother called Mary, and His brothers, James and Joseph and Simon and Judas? ⁵⁶ And His sisters, are they not all with us? Where then did this man get all these things?” ⁵⁷ And they took offense at Him. But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown and in his own household.” ⁵⁸ And He did not do many miracles there because of their unbelief.

The people of Nazareth, Jesus hometown, were familiar with Jesus. They knew His family. They knew Him from the time He had worked as a carpenter with Joseph, His earthly Father. Their familiarity with His human side was a hindrance to their faith. It is puzzling though that the text says:      He came to His hometown and began teaching them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished, and said, “Where did this man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers?  Even seeing and hearing was not enough to change them. They held fast to their own preconceived ideas of who Jesus was.

Knowing Jesus for who He really is requires that we look beyond our human understanding.  Proverbs 3:5-6 says:   Trust in the Lord with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding. ⁶ In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight.   God created us with brilliant minds. The human brain is capable of amazing things, but part of our human nature is to want to understand things logically. As amazing as our human brains are it is difficult for us to comprehend the infinite with our finite minds. Everything we see and know in this physical realm has some limits. We can look at the vastness of the ocean and though we cannot see the end we know that there is another shore.

Faith in who Jesus is requires that kind of knowing,  faith requires believing in what we cannot see or comprehend. 2 Corinthians 5:7 says: we walk by faith, not by sight.   When Jesus had appeared to some of His disciples after His crucifixion and resurrection, Thomas said he would not believe unless he saw Jesus physically himself. Later when Jesus did appear to him He said:  Jesus *said to him, “Because you have seen Me, have you believed? Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed.”        True faith does not require that we see physical proof. True faith is spiritually derived.   Romans 10:13-17 says:    “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” ¹⁴ How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? ¹⁵ And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, Who bring glad tidings of good things!” ¹⁶ But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our report?”  ¹⁷ So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.        The more we fill ourselves with the word of God, the more our faith increases. It is not enough though that we know the Bible, that we know what it says. We need to know the one who is the Word.

The same level of familiarity which hindered Jesus from doing many miracles in His home town can also hinder the church today. It never ceases to amaze me that within the church there are so many people who will travel to see ministers who operate in healing gifts. I know some of them myself and have great respect and appreciation for their ministry. I love when they come to my home church and I may even go to an extra service when they are ministering locally. But we should not wait for the healing minster to come to town when we have a need. Nor should we travel great distances to see him or her. After all it is Christ who heals. Our faith must be in Him. Those who minister in healing help us by encouraging us and building our faith. We need to remember that faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. Jesus says:  Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I go to the Father. ¹³ Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. ¹⁴ If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it. (John 14:12-14)    These greater works, the working of miracles and healing are not limited to a select few. Jesus says He will do what we ask because He has gone to the Father. Romans 8:34 says: Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us.     Our prayers, our needs are met and answered because Jesus is there with the Father. Jesus also says:  Truly I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven. ¹⁹ “Again I say to you, that if two of you agree on earth about anything that they may ask, it shall be done for them by My Father who is in heaven. ²⁰ For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst.” (Matthew 18:18-20)

We as believers need to encourage one another. We need to build each other faith. The working of miracles and healing sickness, deformity and disease should not be dependent on any man or woman of God. It is dependent on our faith in Christ, the one who is with the Father and with us and who through the Holy Spirit actually dwells in us. The good news of the kingdom is that it is as Jesus said at hand. It has come upon us. The kingdom is here because Jesus lives and He lives in and through each and every believer. If we will truly walk by faith we can walk in the fullness of the power of God, to His glory.

Heavenly Father, Lord Jesus Christ; Holy Spirit, though my human mind can’t fully comprehend that You are three in one, I believe. I believe also that Jesus Christ died for my sins and that He was raised again and lives. He lives in heaven with the Father. He is present when we gather together and Father, Son and Holy Spirit You abide with me and in me. This too is beyond human comprehension but, I believe. Empower me and enable me to walk in the fullness of Your power through faith.    Amen.