The Perplexity of Jesus' Hometown Folks

This topic is approached from the perspective of those who opposed Jesus, highlighting the confusion people experienced when confronted with the Son of God's arrival. Facing the bewilderment of Jesus' fellow townsmen, they made six statements. They asked: Where did this man get these things? What’s this wisdom that has been given him? What are these remarkable miracles he is performing? (These were their observations). The following statements are even more telling:

Isn’t this the carpenter? Isn’t this Mary’s son and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas and Simon? Aren’t his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him. (Mark 6:2-3)

Can you grasp their mindset? They clearly witnessed Jesus performing these miraculous wonders. If you observe someone speaking with wisdom and authority, whose actions are exceptionally good, and those they touch are healed, and those who touch them are also healed… Would you, upon encountering such a person, experience the same perplexity as Jesus' townsfolk?

Many among us have personally experienced miracles, yet they subsequently grapple with confusion. The root of this perplexity lies in their perspective. Some approach matters from a spiritual vantage point, while others view them through a worldly lens. When you adopt a spiritual perspective, you consider it natural for Jesus to speak with authority, perform miracles, and possess healing power. After all, the Son of God descended into this world, the eternal Word made flesh, and nothing is too difficult for Him.

Had Jesus' townsfolk not witnessed these miracles, we might excuse them. However, they questioned, What is this? and marveled greatly, yet viewed it from a carnal perspective. If one vacillates between a worldly and a spiritual viewpoint, they will descend into chaos. Do you frequently switch between these perspectives when considering matters? If so, confusion is inevitable. If we consistently maintain a spiritual perspective, perplexity will not arise.

We would recognize Him as the Son of God, our Messiah, the answer to all our life's problems. But Jesus' townsfolk did not think this way; they saw only Mary's son, a mere carpenter. Today, do you view all the challenges you face through spiritual eyes? If you approach what I am saying with a carnal mindset, you will find faults to pick at.

Many among us still grapple with perplexing matters, such as the issue of taking medication, which troubles many. Recent news reveals the increasing monopolization of the biopharmaceutical industry. Ignorance of medication may be preferable, as understanding it often deters consumption. Many doctors, before taking medication, first contemplate the potential side effects, proceeding with caution. One of our brothers in the distance, with a background in pharmaceuticals, frequently seeks prayer rather than medication.

However, I believe that Jesus Christ, born into this world, is the Son of God, the greatest physician. I urge you to begin viewing matters from a spiritual perspective. If you choose to be a spiritual person, be solely spiritual; if you choose to be a worldly person, be thoroughly worldly. Do not vacillate between the two, lest you lose your bearings.

Every logical system possesses its unique rigor. One cannot transition from one system to another arbitrarily. For instance, in mathematics, there is plane trigonometry and spherical trigonometry, distinguished by differences in axioms and theorems. If you attempt to apply plane trigonometry to spherical problems or vice versa, your fundamental mathematics will likely receive a failing grade. Today, I encourage brothers and sisters to strive forward on the path of Jesus Christ, continuously enhancing the depth of your service.

This morning, I prayed for Sister YX's mother-in-law, who was experiencing profuse sweating, tremors, and chest pain. As she sat before the camera, I prayed for her, and within minutes, she felt better. She was able to receive healing because we believe that Jesus Christ is God incarnate, who came into the world! He died for us on the cross, enduring stripes for our diseases and removing our curses. When we affirm this, prayer brings forth divine healing. Are there those whose prayers go unanswered? Yes, but the reasons for the lack of healing are known only to God and the individual involved.

Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. (Romans 5:1-2)

During the time of Jesus Christ, you would find that as long as you had faith, you could draw on God's grace. Grace has already been accomplished; ultimately, it depends on whether you choose to draw on grace from within. Through faith, we stand in the grace accomplished by Jesus Christ; without faith, nothing can be drawn upon.

Even Those Who Have Heard the Gospel Can Experience Confusion.

Jesus sent out his disciples, two by two, to preach as they went, calling people to repentance, driving out demons, and healing their diseases. This makes me realize that being healed of sickness is a great grace. Who among us dares to say that we will never fall ill in this lifetime? Today, our greatest fear is falling ill. However, knowing God can truly solve these problems.

Jesus' disciples were mere fishermen, ordinary citizens, unremarkable individuals who did not appear capable. Yet, as they went, they preached, prayed for people, and people were healed; they drove out demons, and the demons departed. Yet, some people do not accept this Gospel; is that not strange? Some, after witnessing these things, think, I am fine today; I will never encounter sickness or demon possession in this lifetime. But what happens if they do encounter unforeseen circumstances?

In the Bible, there is a woman with a hemorrhage who spent all her means on physicians, yet was not healed (Mark 5:25-34). Today, we must not wait until we are utterly helpless before we consider touching the hem of Jesus' garment. Jesus Christ is a precious jewel that we must seize. The seventy others whom Jesus later sent out to preach the Gospel were those who believed after witnessing the miracles Jesus performed.

So, how do people become confused? They assume that these things will not befall them, and thus do not contemplate them. How do we know that these things will not befall us? What will we use to resist when they do befall us? Later, Jesus mentioned why some people do not come to God: because they are busy, because they have ten oxen and must feed them, leaving them no time. They assume that sickness will not befall them, that as long as they are healthy today, all is well; this is a short-sighted perspective. One must realize that sometimes people cannot even cure a sick cow.

Among us is a sister whose friend raises many cattle. When the cattle fall ill, she asks for help with prayer. As a result, the next day, she calls to say that the cattle are well. Is this miraculous? God even heals the diseases of cattle. This Gospel is truly a treasure, and we must change our mindset today. When you see these things, examine them carefully, and do not shut people out.

When we preach the Gospel, we do the same, bearing witness, calling people to repentance, driving out many demons, and healing the sick. If people see these things and still do not believe, shake the dust off your feet (Matthew 10:14). God is seeking those who believe; these things seem unrelated to those who are blinded. Which of the things that Jesus did is unrelated to us? Every single one is intimately connected to us.

Herod's Perplexity

We have always assumed that Herod had John the Baptist killed, but according to the Bible, Herod initially wanted to protect John. King Herod revered John, listened to his teachings, followed them, and was pleased to hear him. Yet, he had John killed. Why? He misspoke. He promised his daughter to fulfill all her requests, and as a result, his daughter, at the instigation of others, demanded John's head. He had no choice but to kill John (Mark 6:14-29).

After killing John, King Herod became perplexed. Today, there came a Jesus; he heard that Jesus performed many miracles and preached in the synagogues. He heard that Jesus' disciples also helped people get healed and cast out demons. A great confusion arose in his heart, wondering who this person was. He thought this person might be John the Baptist resurrected from the dead.

In other words, this King Herod had spiritual concepts in his heart. Today, in this world, there are quite a few people with spiritual concepts. For example, one of our brethren said: In our village, everyone knows the reality of the spiritual realm. For example, my father was a fortune teller. Every time he predicted something bad would happen to me, it did. He was very accurate about bad things but not about good things. The spiritual world is indeed that real.

Herod had confusion within him. He was confused because his brother's wife was very beautiful. His sister-in-law found Herod pleasing, and Herod found her pleasing too; they were truly in love! On one hand, there were carnal needs; on the other hand, there were spiritual needs, and thus there was confusion. What kind of person is a confused person? It is someone who has experienced miracles, knows the reality of the spiritual realm, yet still chooses the world.

If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him (1 John 2:15). Why do many of our brothers and sisters have a reversal in their thoughts and intentions today? Because they are consistently being spiritual people. I do not want the love of the world in me; I want to choose to love God; I will do as God says. Herod was very confused. Look at what he said: This is John, whom I beheaded; he has been raised from the dead! Can you believe that Herod could say such a thing? He believed that people could be resurrected from the dead.

In the Old Testament of the Bible, the only person who believed that people could be resurrected from the dead was Abraham. You must know that one day, those who have died in Jesus Christ will be resurrected. If our generation personally welcomes the coming of Jesus, those who have died will come alive from the ground. That is to say, no matter how many years they have decayed, God will also grab their dust, assemble them, and then they will live again. After that, those people will stand with us before the judgment seat of Jesus.

If there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen. And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty (1 Corinthians 15:13-14).

If we die in Jesus Christ, we will one day be resurrected from the dead. Therefore, Paul said that if we do not believe in resurrection from the dead, then Jesus has not risen from the dead, and our faith is in vain. So, believing in resurrection from the dead is crucial. Herod believed that people could be resurrected from the dead; he was thinking this way some time before Jesus Christ was resurrected from the dead.

The question is, what will I do after I am resurrected in the future? Herod might have thought, what will I do when I am resurrected from the dead and stand before God? But after thinking it over, he still had one foot in eternal life and one foot in the world. Such a choice is to walk into destruction. In Jesus Christ, there is no two-way choice, that is, to gain both this life and eternal life.

I am living in this world, just consistently living for Jesus, this is our choice. I think if you can't follow my train of thought now, it's not very important, but you have to think hard, think about what this is? If people are really going to be resurrected from the dead one day, what should they do? Your internal logical system must be completely reversed, do not be half like the devil and half like Jesus.

So Many Confused People

The First Confusion of People: Eating and Drinking

If you were King Herod, you might be qualified not to seek God, because you have food and drink in the world. But people in the world are full of toil and trouble. Not to mention anything else, two thousand years ago, it was not easy to have enough to eat. When I was a child, whether I could have enough to eat became a confusion. My mother often said: the debt will be paid off in another five years. What kind of life is this? The hope is to pay off the debt. Once the New Year comes, it's happy, there is meat to eat.

On the fifth day of the lunar new year, my mother said: change the meal, can not eat white flour anymore, change to corn flour. Sometimes when we were poor, my father went to the tofu factory to get tofu dregs, tofu dregs fried with shallots, that's called small tofu. Do you think it's delicious? At that time, after the beans were squeezed for oil, we had all eaten the bean cake, but we couldn't get enough to eat at all.

What else is perplexing to people? That is, what exactly is living all about? Have you really sought this out? People can easily lose themselves, day after day, year after year, and then head towards death, which is a great tragedy. The biggest confusion in people: if you don't work, how will you live tomorrow? Jesus performed a miracle, he fed five thousand people with five loaves of bread and two fish. Today, in Jesus Christ, these confusions should disappear.

In Jesus Christ, I have not seen anyone starve to death, because there is extremely abundant grace in Him. Do not worry about what to eat, what to drink, what to do tomorrow (Matthew 6:25). Jesus performed the miracle of five loaves and two fish in this chapter, and the remaining fragments filled twelve baskets (Mark 6:30-43). Do we really believe in our hearts? If you are a devout Christian, you believe in this thing that Jesus did, will you lack food and clothing? No.

The Old Testament of the Bible says that when the Israelites left Egypt and walked through the wilderness for forty years, their clothes were not worn out and their shoes were not broken, it was truly a miracle (Deuteronomy 29:5). Today, if we still have worries about what to eat and what to drink, we need to let go.

These people were looking for Jesus, and Jesus said: Whoever believes in me must eat my flesh and drink my blood. These people left after being full of eating bread, why? Because they did not understand and became confused. They were only looking for bread to fill their bellies, if they were looking for the way to eternal life, they would not leave Jesus.

Today, if you have one foot in the world and one foot in Jesus Christ, know that you will lose God's grace. The Bible says that lest anyone should fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled (Hebrews 12:15). Never lose the grace of God. Why lose the grace of God? Because they do not know that Jesus Christ is all our provision.

Never think that man can conquer nature

Mankind often struggles with natural disasters. The Japan 311 tsunami and the Southeast Asia 2004 tsunami took away the lives of many people. Do not think that man can conquer nature, only the Son of Man Jesus Christ who came down from heaven, He is God incarnate coming among us. Therefore, earthly natural disasters are just very simple things in the hands of Jesus Christ, He can stop these disasters if He says stop.

Our daily needs can be met in Jesus Christ. Jesus rebuked the storm, and the storm stopped, He could even walk on the water. What do these things prove? It proves that He is God incarnate, who created the universe and all things. Therefore, today, those who have obtained Jesus Christ are blessed and blessed people. Many people in the generation of Jesus Christ came to seek Jesus because they knew that Jesus Christ could solve their big problems.

When they had crossed over, they came to the land of Gennesaret and anchored there. And when they came out of the boat, immediately the people recognized Him, ran through that whole surrounding region, and began to carry about on beds those who were sick to wherever they heard He was. Wherever He entered, into villages, cities, or in the country, they laid the sick in the marketplaces, and begged Him that they might just touch the hem of His garment. And as many as touched Him were made well (Mark 6:53-56).

It is written here: all were healed; not some healed, some not healed. The grace of Jesus Christ is extremely abundant, and if He releases a little casually, we can be satisfied, healed, and disasters can be resolved. Today, we must subvert the human logical system. If you are very busy at work, you think you will not have time. But I want to give you good news: time is created by God, as long as you believe, God can make you not busy.

The five thousand people who ate the bread and were full, the people who came to Jesus for healing, the confused King Herod, and even the disciples of Jesus, had all been confused. Today, let us not be confused, but come with faith to draw on God's grace.