Astonished and Unbelieving

And when he was come into his own country, he taught them in their synagogue, insomuch that they were astonished, and said, Whence hath this man this wisdom, and these mighty works?  (Matthew 13:54)

Jesus grew up in Nazareth, but He moved His headquarters to Capernaum, a strategic location along the Sea of Galilee. In fact, about 70% of the recorded miracles of Jesus took place around the Sea of Galilee. When He returned home to teach, the people were “astonished” by His wisdom and miracles, but they didn’t believe Him.

Astonishment without acceptance is still unbelief.

They might have been impressed, but they remained unmoved.Astonishment affects the mind and emotions, but faith is a spiritual matter. They saw His deeds, yet refused to recognize His true identity. You can be close to the miraculous and still miss the manifestation. Just being around church doesn't guarantee you will receive from Jesus. Seeing miracles doesn't mean you see the Messiah. Notice they didn’t ask who He was; they asked, “How did He get this?” Faith struggles when you judge God’s work with natural logic instead of supernatural revelation.

Believers should perform miracles, but they shouldn’t be moved by them because we are called to walk by faith, not by sight. (2 Corinthians 5:7)

Practical Application

Don’t just admire what God is doing; actively participate in it. Make a conscious effort to place yourself in a position to serve, support, and be involved in what God is doing on earth right now.

Matthew 2:23; Matthew 4:23