We know that we cannot stop God from performing a miracle… or can we? Job 42:2 says, “No purpose of Yours can be thwarted.” And Daniel affirms this truth in 4:35b, where we read, “No one can hold back His hand or say to Him: ‘What have you done?’
So, can anything or anyone stop Yeshua from performing a miracle? Let’s go back to Nazareth to find out. This small town had a population of about 400. This is where Yeshua grew up and where He returned to visit twice.
And while Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz clicked the heels of her red ruby shoes and made that wish to find herself once again back in her own bed among family who dearly loved her, that kind of welcoming wish was not the case for Yeshua. We will soon learn how the people in Nazareth treated Jesus and what the outcome was.
Rejection at Nazareth
We are about to explore the Gospel account in Mark. This marks the second time Jesus visits his hometown. His first visit was met with heavy rejection, as the townspeople tried to push him off a cliff. Now, about a year later, he comes again, only to face a similar rejection. In fact, it states that during this visit, they were offended and scandalized by Him.
Mark 6: 4-5 reads, Then Yeshua said to them, ‘Only in his hometown, among his relatives, and in his own household is a prophet without honor. So He could not perform any miracles except that He lay hands on a few of the sick and heal them.”
He Could Not
Look what happened at Nazareth. Jesus encounters such unbelief from His own townspeople that He could not perform any miracles — it does not say that He would not, but that He could not.
Why not? Certainly not because He was unable by His own power to perform any miracle He chose to do. Instead, it was because the people lacked faith. This was not just simple unbelief in Nazareth. There were times when Jesus performed miracles where faith was not required, such as healing the demon-possessed man or raising the widow’s son in Nain. In both cases, Yeshua acted out of compassion, not based on faith. However, in this case at Nazareth, consider the level of unbelief Jesus faced. It says they were scandalized by Him (Grk eskandalizonto, meaning their own unbelief causes them to fall away and stumble). To whom much is given, much is required. Imagine—these people had nearly 30 years to witness Yeshua’s blameless, humble walk before God. These were His own townspeople who knew Him best. One thing we learn is that, like salvation, God does not force His miracles on us, especially on those who are unwilling recipients. What would be the point?
When We Are Unwilling
We remember what Yeshua said as He looked over Jerusalem: “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how much I have longed to gather you as a hen gathers her chicks, but you were not willing.” Not willing.
What Israel did to her prophets was disgraceful, a clear sign of not just disbelief but outright rebellion. Israel’s condition was about to become dire; the second Temple would be destroyed soon, and there would be an exile from the land. However, Jesus could not prevent this from happening. Why not? Because, once again, Israel was unwilling.
If His miracles cannot or would not bring change to any hearts, why would He perform them? The reluctance and lack of trust from those in Nazareth resulted in consequences. No belief, no trust, no miracles!
What About Us?
What about our own reluctance, even as believers? Is there something we’re not doing that prevents God’s work in our lives?
Sometimes we drift away from God. Maybe we haven’t received what we hoped for and become disillusioned or disappointed. Maybe we blame God for not fulfilling certain prayer requests, or the small or large miracles we deeply long for. So, while we believe in God, do we truly have trusting faith in Him?
And this is when we need to consider two very important words in our walk with the Lord: belief and trust.
While belief and trust may seem alike, there’s an important difference between the two. As James notes, even the demons believe in one God, and they shudder (James 2:19). What is belief? I might believe that God exists and that the stories in the Bible are true. I might also believe the articles of faith and accept their rules and principles. However, belief is mental; it is rooted in the mind. In John 2:23, we read about those who believed in Jesus, but only because of His miracles. It’s one thing to believe, but another to trust. Jesus understood this, and in this case, although they believed, these people lacked genuine trust in Him.
Trust goes beyond just believing. It builds a deeper emotional bond with the person or thing we trust. Trust transforms belief into action. Trusting God involves knowing who He is. There’s a beautiful verse in Jeremiah 9:24 that explains why we should trust Him. The verse reads: “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, nor the strong man in his strength, nor the wealthy man in his riches. But let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD, who exercises loving devotion, justice and righteousness on the earth—for I delight in these things” .
We trust God because He takes delight in being lovingly devoted to us. We trust Him based on what we know about who He is, and then we can surrender all that we are into His hands. Surrendering is one of the best ways to test our trust. How much of our lives, priorities, and perspectives are we willing to give up?
Who Will Come on My Back?
Many of you may have heard of Charles Blondin, famous for his daring tightrope walks, especially over Niagara Falls. He wowed audiences everywhere with his skills, like walking tightrope blindfolded, on stilts, climbing onto a chair, crossing in a wheelbarrow, or riding a bike. He even walked halfway across the water, sat down on the rope, cooked an omelet, and ate it—champagne and all!
And so, the story goes, that once, after crossing the falls while pushing a wheelbarrow, he turned to the crowd and said, “You saw what I just did…” They all responded, “Yes.” Then he asked, “Do you think I could push a man in that wheelbarrow across Niagara?” They all shouted, “Yes, of course,” because they believed him. Then he asked, “Who then is willing to get into the wheelbarrow for me to prove it?” No one raised their hand. But that is the type of trust God desires from us.
But the story doesn’t end here. Charles Blondin had a manager named Harry Colcord, who organized all of his events. During one of Blondin’s daring tightrope walks, Harry got onto his back, and Blondin carried him across the water. How did Harry gain such trust in Blondin?
It’s because Harry spent so much time with Blondin and saw him succeed repeatedly in every event that Blondin, the tightrope walker, could be trusted. Because of that trust, Harry was able to surrender his life into Blondin’s hands.
Trust deepens when we understand who we trust. It grows through reading the Word, praying, conversing with God, and learning about His will and heart. The more we know Him—just as Harry knew Charles—the more confidently we can surrender everything into His hands. And we can trust that He will respond to us in return.
With trust, we will witness many miracles, unlike what happened in Nazareth. Trust opens our eyes to see all the good that God has in store for us.
Trust More and Struggle Less
Some of us may struggle with trust issues due to disappointments, heartache, and losses we’ve faced in relationships. But remember, God is not a man that He should lie. If we have trust issues, our best starting point for healing is turning to the Lord because of His unconditional love, His perfect judgments, and His unfailing faithfulness. He knows the end from the beginning, and there is no mystery outside of His knowledge.
There’s a story about a man who falls off a cliff. He’s going to die, but he throws out a hand and miraculously catches a branch:
“Is anyone up there?”
“Yes.”
“Who are you?”
“I am God, and I am going to save you.”
“Wonderful. What should I do?”
“Let go of the branch.”
(Pause.) “Is there anybody else up there that can help me?”
No, there isn’t anyone else who can help the way God çan.
Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not upon your own understanding. In all your ways submit to Him, and He shall direct your path.
Such wise guidance on trust, ending with a beautiful promise. As we trust, He Himself will guide our steps and remove any obstacle that blocks us from walking a holy path and witnessing all the miracles He has prepared for us.