Seventh Sunday after Pentecost: Gospel, Mark 6:1-13                     

Mark 6:1-13

The overall astonishment of the crowds at Jesus came from His teaching. At the words that came from His mouth. His teaching in His hometown fostered a myriad of questions. In our gospel reading for the week we hear them. Oh He is powerful in deed as well, but at root it is His teaching that corrals their ears and intellects and gets everyone buzzing. 

What is the lesson from this gospel? It is the lesson from Jesus' baptism. The call to those in attendance when His cousin John immersed and raised Him out of Jordan. “Listen to Him.” “Hear Him,” came the booming call of His Father. And ours. The crowds more times than not didn’t correctly surmise the “who” of His person. But they recognized that His thoughts and words were beyond them. While the miracles gave credence to His claims, it was His teaching that captured their hearts and minds. May it be so with us as well.