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Feb 22, 2023 18:30pm

Not What They Expected

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I had the day off and decided to grab a few things from the store. I slapped on a cap, and headed out, no makeup, and in my comfy clothes. I was in an aisle when a man approached. I could feel his stares and wondered if he needed help. He finally said, “It’s you!” He couldn’t believe he was seeing me in the store. He talked about how he and his wife watch me every morning.

“She will be so excited to meet you! She’s just on the other side of the aisle, go say hello to her!”

I laughed a little and said “okay”, and began making my way to the next aisle. There was one woman there, examining a product, never looking at me as I approached. When I was finally right in front of her, I said, “Hi, your husband told me you’d like to meet me, so, hello.” She looked up from what she was so intent on, her reading glasses towards the end of her nose, her eyes looking over them and examining me.

“Who are you?” she gruffly asked.

“I’m Yalanda Young, from the news.”

She gave me another close examination.

“You are, huh?”

I began to explain how I had the day off and just didn’t have any makeup on and…

Well, then it was just awkward.

What else was I supposed to say?

So, I just clumsily said a few parting words and got out of there.

Obviously, she wasn’t star struck. She wasn’t fan-girling, she wasn’t impressed.

I wasn’t anything like she thought I would be.

I wasn’t dressed in a suit, my hair wasn’t perfect, my appearance wasn’t as polished as she would have expected. I was just normal.

“And he went out from thence, and came into his own country; and his disciples follow him. And when the sabbath day was come, he began to teach in the synagogue: and many hearing him were astonished, saying, From whence hath this man these things? and what wisdom is this which is given unto him, that even such mighty works are wrought by his hands? Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joses, and of Juda, and Simon? and are not his sisters here with us? And they were offended at him. But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, but in his own country, and among his own kin, and in his own house. And he could there do no mighty work, save that he laid his hands upon a few sick folk, and healed them. And he marvelled because of their unbelief. And he went round about the villages, teaching.” (Mark 6:1-6)

For many years, the Jews had been awaiting the Messiah. They had read scriptures about the coming King who was coming to rescue them. Can you imagine what they pictured He would look like and be like?

What do you think of?

Riches. Exquisite materials used for His robe and clothing. Only the finest. A crown of gold upon His head. Perhaps even riding in on a white horse with an enormous army following closely behind, ready for battle.

So, when they heard that Jesus, this guy they knew, the son of Mary and Joseph, the carpenter, was the Messiah, they just couldn’t believe it. He was not what they expected. He was a man and they couldn’t see past that.

In fact, it says they were deeply offended and refused to believe.

And for that reason, they missed out on seeing Him do mighty works among them. Even Jesus marveled at their unbelief.

Many today are like those of Nazareth. Deeply offended by the Word of God, refusing to believe, and they will miss out on His mighty work.

What about you? Were you expecting the Christian life to be easy and without worry? Were you expecting financial or physical blessings? Were you expecting praise for your good deeds and faith?

I was recently reminded that we should know who we are following. Do you truly know Jesus? Do we understand what it means to be called His?

Study the lives of the disciples in the book of Acts and tell me they lived lavishly and without worry. If our Lord and Savior was despised and rejected, what makes us think we should receive more?