“When the Sabbath came, he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were amazed. “Where did this man get these things?” they asked. “What’s this wisdom that has been given him? What are these remarkable miracles he is performing? 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. Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own town, among his relatives and in his own home.” He could not do any miracles there, except lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them. He was amazed at their lack of faith. Then Jesus went around teaching from village to village.”

‭‭Mark‬ ‭6:2-6‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Many times, we want familiar. We want to stay where we know and where we are known. A place of comfort. The thing is, we ARE known there. People know us as we are now. They know us as we were, our past, our family, sometimes our secrets and their knowledge of us stops right there.

They can’t see the “us” God is making us into. Their limited view of who we are or more accurately, who they think we are & should be, keeps them from really seeing us. It keeps them from seeing or knowing us as anything else. Their stifling amazement that we dare be more than what they are familiar with taken even further, maybe even becoming a source of offense. The AMP version says, “Their disapproval blinded them.”

The thing is, the doubters and haters in Mark 6 weren’t the only ones amazed. Jesus was amazed too, but for a different reason. Their lack of faith.

We may be in places that should build us up, encourage us to be what God has sent us to be, called us to be. Instead, we are in a place surrounded by blinded, offenses people. A place where the miraculous cannot take place through us. A place where people pick at cocoons before the butterfly is completely formed, nearly ruining what’s inside, because they were used to seeing a caterpillar crawling on the ground.

Jesus was home, in His hometown. They couldn’t see past the carpenter. They missed their healing, their deliverance, they limited their miracles. But, more importantly, they missed the Messiah because their view of Him was too familiar. Even with “remarkable miracles” they still didn’t believe.

So, two things.

First, God is not restricted to working in a specific way. He could have sent Jesus in any way He wanted, to any family but His plans are perfect. He knew exactly why it needed to be the way it happened, not one detail overlooked, down to the swaddling cloths. God may not show up like we expect, so we have to be in tune, aware, & sensitive to His voice so we recognize Him when He shows up. Make sure our hearts & spirits are ready. Yes, of you can be expectant, but are you PREPARED. God didn’t send Jesus as His people expected, so when He showed up many missed it because the Lamb showed up this time. The Shepherd moved instead of the slaying warrior. He didn’t overthrow the Romans or conquer all their enemies they could see, but he conquered even greater enemies. Sin. Death. He brought us deliverance and salvation. That’s our victory. Don’t be blinded because you’ve gotten (or think you have) familiar with God.

Secondly, don’t be discouraged because those who are familiar with you don’t always get it. It can hurt but don’t give up because they can’t see you. Those are the people we would love to have rooting for us. Jesus didn’t stop His work. He wasn’t deterred by rejection. He knew why He came & He pushed through to completion. Let the rejection & blindness push you. Let the unbelief push you to serve God as He created you to. Where people will see you as the butterfly & not just the caterpillar. So they can see & believe because God CANNOT lie. Stay in His will for you. It just may have to be somewhere other than home.

But, please don’t take this as an opportunity to let pride flourish. Push through with humility. It’s easy to be, “See, y’all didn’t believe me or in me. Now I’m at the top. New number, who dis?” Be humble as God positions you to actively start operating in what He called you to. He will repay, He will avenge on your behalf. Jesus had every opportunity to have said, “Well, you didn’t believe in me so when I die you’re not on my list of people whose sins I won’t die for.” No, He still died for them. And us who weren’t even born yet to have a chance to not believe in Him.

And for real this is the last thing, promise!!! Don’t be one of the “blinded.” Don’t get stuck in who people are and used to be. Check yourself. Don’t be one of the “offended” when God is trying to birth something in someone. He didn’t create us as static creatures. He specializes in dramatic, unexpected transformations. We may not understand & it’s not for us to understand when people aren’t what we were used to seeing. See past the familiar. Don’t limit your sight distance. Not of God, not of others, not of yourself.