"And he could do no mighty work there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and healed them. And he marveled because of their unbelief." -Mk. 6:5 ESV
I'm excited to soon begin reading Craig Keener's Miracles: The Credibility of the New Testament Account. I was compelled to read it after watching these overview videos about the book.
I do believe that supernatural occurrences are happening in our world today, not least because I've experienced a few myself and have also seen others second-hand. I've seen cancer disappear, unexplainable provision in time of need, and the providential arrangement of events and conversations. I even got to rejoice last year with a dear friend whose son's eyes and heart were healed from birth defect.
I have no doubt that most (if not all) of the "miracles" we see touted on TV are fake. I also have little doubt that real supernatural occurrences are extremely rare. That's why we call them "super" natural. They don't happen in the typical pattern of things. Some people may very well go their entire lives and never witness a miracle.
But I do believe they happen, and I do believe that in this passage Mark may be giving us a hint as to why we don't see them as often in the West.
With the dawn of the "Age of Reason" (or Enlightenment) in the 17th century, philosophers and scientists jettisoned the assumptions of thousands of years of human thinking for a purely naturalistic view of the universe. Everything, they said, can eventually be explained through experimentation and human logic. This has become the foundational assumption of many (if not most) in Europe and the U.S; and as human reason has become god, the result has not been all-out atheism in most cases but, rather, skepticism and agnosticism.
Non-committal, all-things-at-arms-length... DOUBT... has become a virtue.
But according to Mark, doubt was the problem in Jesus' hometown. In the words of the Scripture, He could not do supernatural works in Nazareth because of the doubt of the people.
Now we know that God can do anything that can be done and that does not contradict His character. He certainly performed many supernatural acts in Exodus and Numbers in spite of rampant doubt.
Yet for some reason, God providentially ordered the ministry of Jesus in such a way that a faith-response from human beings was key; and we are meant to see that the lack of such faith, at least in this instance, can short-circuit the process of a supernatual work of God.
This is not an apologetic for name-it-claim-it theology... but it is a clear and direct challenge to our culture of skepticism.
I would never deny the miracles of modern medicine that God has graciously given, but at times I wonder if we've exchanged the gift for the Giver (Rom. 1:18ff) and deified our doctors. Are we placing all of our trust in chemistry and biology yet neglecting to cry out to our Maker and Sustainer? Why are we then surprised when He says to us, "Thy will be done?"
"(Jesus) marveled at their unbelief."
I wonder at times if He marvels at mine?
