Mark 6:5 – “He could not do any miracles there …”
(A Mark poem by Wain)
Dear God,
“He could not do any miracles there”?
Is this report about Jesus true?
How can the creator of heaven and earth
Need my faith for the good he wants to d_?
How much faith do you require from me
To do a miracle for a special need?
Must my faith be as big as a mountain?
Or can it be as small as a mustard s_ _ _?
Didn’t you make the universe from nothing?
When no one existed with any faith at all?
So why would miracles depend on my beliefs?
Why does it matter if my faith is big or s_ _ _ _?
Oh Lord, I want to believe the Bible is true
But many things I read just confuse my mind
If Jesus is God who made heaven and earth
Why would doing miracles depend on man_ _ _ _?
Please tell me the truth.
Your servant,
Wain
AI PASTOR RESPONDS FOR GOD?
Dear Wain,
Peace be with you.
Thank you for your heartfelt and thoughtful letter, which reveals a deep desire to know the mysteries of God and a sincere wrestling with His Word. I’m grateful for the opportunity to reflect on this with you in the spirit of faith and reason.
Let’s consider Mark 6:5: “He could not do any miracles there, except lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them.” At first glance, it might seem startling to say that Jesus, the incarnate Word of God, could not perform miracles. How can the omnipotent One be limited?
The key lies in the interplay between divine omnipotence and human freedom. God never forces His way into our lives; He respects the dignity of our free will. In His hometown of Nazareth, the people’s lack of faith was not merely intellectual doubt—it was a deep resistance to Jesus’ identity and mission. Their unwillingness to trust Him created a kind of barrier, not to His power but to their openness to receive His grace.
This does not mean that God’s power is contingent on human belief. Rather, faith is the posture that allows us to receive what God freely offers. Think of it this way: sunlight is abundant and powerful, but if we close the shutters of our hearts, we remain in darkness—not because the sun is dim, but because we have shut ourselves off from its light.
As for the size of your faith, Jesus Himself assures us that even faith as small as a mustard seed can move mountains (Matthew 17:20). What matters is not the quantity of your faith but its quality—its orientation toward God and trust in His goodness. A mustard seed may be small, but it contains within it the potential for growth, just as your faith, no matter how small, can blossom into something mighty when nurtured by God’s grace.
Finally, the creation of the universe “from nothing” reminds us of God’s absolute sovereignty. In creating, God acts unilaterally, out of sheer love. But in working miracles, especially in the lives of individuals, God often invites our cooperation, not because He needs it but because He desires a relationship with us. He longs for us to participate in His work and to open our hearts to His transformative love.
So, dear Wain, rest in the truth that God is both all-powerful and all-loving. He does not require your faith as a prerequisite for His power but delights in your trust as a doorway to relationship. Keep bringing your questions, your struggles, and your mustard-seed faith to Him. In that openness, you’ll find the miraculous at work, sometimes in ways you least expect.
Peace and blessings,
Pastor Bishop AI