And He could there do no mighty work, save that He laid His hands upon a few sick folk, and healed them. Mark 6:5
The manager of a large store had a bad reputation among his employees. Rumours had been started that he had unfairly treated some workers who had been fired because of dishonesty. As a result, few of the employees would even speak to the manager unless necessary, and they avoided him as much as possible. One of those workers received news that his mother was sick. He wanted to go to visit her, but would need to arrange for additional time off to make the trip. He was sure the manager would refuse such a request. Reluctantly, he went to the manager and explained the situation. With a sympathetic smile, the manager told him to take all the time he needed. When the assistant manager asked him why he had granted such a generous request when he had not done so for anybody else, the manager replied, ‘Nobody asked’. He was like the Lord Jesus in our text, willing to bless, but hindered by a lack of interest.
Did Jesus lose His ability to heal in that town? Obviously not, He healed a few people. Had He lost interest in helping those people? No, He was ready, willing, able, and available. There was no good reason in Himself why the Lord Jesus should not perform the same miracles of healing that other communities had seen. The reason for the lack of miracles was the lack of respect and lack of interest among the people. Those same problems prevent us from seeing blessing in our day.
We talk about a day of small things. We do not find it surprising when nobody is saved during a Gospel series. We shrug off growing apathy among our young people, and declining attendance at meetings, as well as the deterioration of our respect for the things of God. Do we worship the same Lord that our parents did? If so, why do we see such a tiny amount accomplished today compared to earlier decades? It’s not just our Assemblies, either. The evangelical denominations around us are losing their impact as they become more socially conscious and politically correct, as they mingle the Gospel message with easy-believism invitations and pledges, as they cater to the people’s desire to be entertained with music that they falsely label worship. Many old line denominations pay little more than lip service to Scripture and its truths. Is it any wonder that the atheists, mohammedans, and other cults and false religions are sweeping in to fill the vacuum?
If we are not seeing much accomplished for God these days, we had best take a look into the mirror to see who is to blame. -Jim MacIntosh