What Did You Expect?

Mark 6:1-6

What did you expect God to look like?

We all have our pictures of God in our minds, and the imagery we visualize has a lot to do with how we expect God to operate.

This is the reason God has said NOT to make images of God. NONE. From the beginning, God has made it plain and clear for His followers to reject imagery in ALL its forms – because what we see with our eyes determines how we respond in our hearts.

God would have us respond by faith, and faith cannot take place in the realm of sight.

Imagine what an upset it was for God to appear as a man. How could that possibly be?

At least, if He is to appear as a man He should be a majestic one with a commanding presence that all would swoon in His presence…

Yet, the Bible tells us He made Himself of lowly appearance. Men would not be drawn to Him by His comely appearance - but by His Word.

When Jesus first appeared at Nazareth, His hometown, as God in flesh – what did you expect? Did you expect all the people to bow down to Him because of His majestic appearance, and because they have known of Him all His life?

Exactly the opposite occurs because of exactly those reasons. He is NOT of majestic appearance, and they do NOT expect Him as Savior BECAUSE they have known Him all their lives. He is very familiar to them all. They know all about Him.

He is not the God they expected God to be.

It is very interesting how our expectations of God limit God according to our expectations. Jesus could do no mighty work among those who knew Him well. Familiarity bred a certain contempt. Does this apply to us also?

-Pastor Bill