Mark 6:4 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor, except in his hometown and among his relatives and in his own household.”

NIV: Jesus said to them, 'A prophet is not without honor except in his own town, among his relatives and in his own home.'

NASB: Jesus said to them, 'A prophet is not dishonored except in his hometown and among his own relatives, and in his own household.'

CSB: Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown, among his relatives, and in his household."

NLT: Then Jesus told them, 'A prophet is honored everywhere except in his own hometown and among his relatives and his own family.'

KJV: 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.

NKJV: But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own country, among his own relatives, and in his own house.”

This is the first time Jesus is described as a prophet in Mark. "Prophet" comes from the Greek root word profetes and refers to someone who receives revelations from God for others. In the Old Testament, prophets gave messages to kings and nations. The messages would either lead people to salvation or explain why God was about to punish them.

The quote about a prophet being disrespected in his hometown is originally attributed to a Greek proverb regarding their philosophers. Sadly, it is true for Jewish prophets, as well. Evil Queen Jezebel killed several prophets (1 Kings 18:4) and tried to kill Elijah (1 Kings 19:1–2). Jeremiah was thrown into a cistern (Jeremiah 38:6).

Today, the claimed title of "prophet" has taken an unbiblical turn. Some "prophets" claim to know the future, such as when Jesus will return. Scripture clearly states this is impossible (Matthew 24:36–44). The Bible also says that if any prophet claims to have a message from God but the message does not come true, they are a false prophet (Deuteronomy 18:22). We should pay no mind to those who say they know the future but turn out to be wrong.

Some churches claim to have prophets that have direct messages from God for individuals or churches. It is possible that God may give insight about another's situation, but it is unlikely. The practice of asserting a church leader is a prophet with a message from God giving directions for specific people is not biblical. The office and spiritual gift of prophecy became obsolete when the Bible was completed.

The response of the Nazarenes should serve as a warning. Many today grow up with an image of Jesus developed through church, Sunday School, or family, which isn't quite complete. We need to see Jesus as He is, going deeper than comfortable Bible stories. He is our shepherd (John 10:11, 14), friend (John 15:15), and savior (Matthew 1:21), but He is also our judge (Acts 10:42), king (Revelation 19:16), and God (John 1:1; Hebrews 1:3). We lose integrity and consistency in our faith when we simplify who Jesus is.

Mark 6:1–6 somewhat fulfills the wishes of Jesus' family that He come home (Mark 3:21). Unfortunately, this homecoming does not go well. The Nazarenes' welcome is closer to that of Jesus' family's than to the mobs that flock to be healed in the rest of Galilee. The Nazarenes recognize the truth of Jesus' preaching, but reject Him, especially after He claims to be the long-awaited Messiah. Jesus can do few miracles there, because their lack of faith conflicts with His intent to provide miracles only for the faithful. Jesus' hometown population is so irate with Him that they try to throw Him off a cliff (Luke 4:29). These events are also found in Matthew 13:53–58. Luke 4:16–30 records an extended version.

Jesus returns to His hometown of Nazareth, but the people there are faithless and skeptical. As a result, Jesus performs no more than a few minor miracles. He then assigns His twelve apostles to travel in pairs, preaching repentance and healing various conditions. Mark then takes a brief detour to explain the death of John the Baptist, beheaded after Herod Antipas is tricked by his wife. The focus then returns to Jesus, explaining His miraculous feeding of thousands of people, walking on water, and healing people in Gennesaret.

Even as the Twelve are given opportunity to wield some of Jesus' power and authority, they still struggle to understand. They misinterpret who He is, what He has come to do, and how much He will ask of them. They fear Jesus' display of deity, but seem to dismiss the murderous rejection of His hometown and the death of John the Baptist. It's easy to have faith in a prophet who seems poised to rescue Israel from foreign rule. It is still beyond them to understand that He is actually God.

The Gospel of Mark emphasizes both Jesus' servanthood and His role as the promised Messiah: the Son of God. This is done through a concise, action-packed style. Mark provides relatively few details, instead focusing on actions and simple statements. This relates to the Gospel's authorship, which is believed to be based on the memories of the apostle Peter. These include many of Jesus' miracles, in contrast to other Gospels which include many more of Jesus' teachings and parables. Mark also makes frequent mention of Jesus' ministry being misunderstood by others.