Matthew 13:53-58 ESV And when Jesus had finished these parables, he went away from there,and coming to his hometown he taught them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished, and said, “Where did this man get this wisdom and these mighty works?Is not this the carpenter’s son? Is not his mother called Mary? And are not his brothers James and Joseph and Simon and Judas?And are not all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all these things?”And they took offense at him. But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown and in his own household.” And he did not do many mighty works there, because of their unbelief.
What was Jesus like as a child? From this story we can guess he was normal. Not completely normal of course because He never sinned, but the locals just thought of him as an ordinary kid. Therefore, when He came back and taught them they were indignant since they thought of him as an ordinary local guy.
This passage disproves those extra-biblical accounts that have Jesus doing miracles as a child or showing feats of great wisdom or prowess. Had He been an extraordinary child the locals would not be so quick to dismiss Him as a man.
A consequence of their lack of belief was that Jesus did not do many miraculous signs. The parallel passage (Mark 6:1-6) seems to indicate that their unbelief even hampered Jesus’ ability to do miracles. In any case, their disbelief cost them blessings. Everywhere Jesus went He healed the sick, opened blind eyes, and made the lame walk. However, in his hometown, the blind remained sightless and the lame still could not walk.
Failure to believe God costs us blessings too. I believe God still does miracles. Though I do not believe we can just “name it and claim it”, faith does have great power (Mark 11:23).
One reason we lose out is if we do not think God can or will do something then we will not ask. God does bless His children even if they do not ask but He gives much more to those who do ask.
Another reason is that God rewards our faith. Faith is not magic, nor does it force God to act like an incantation. Faith is trust. When we have faith in something or someone we trust them. When we have faith in God it means we believe the promises He gave us. God is pleased when we believe and trust Him so He honors our faith.
Do you trust God? If so, read the Bible and see what promises are in there. Then believe God to keep His promises. He will honor that belief.
Lord, You are an awesome Father. I am so happy You are trustworthy. Your promises give me comfort and hope in a lost and depraved world.