A little boy was afraid of the dark. One night his mother told him to go out to the porch and bring her the broom. The little boy turned to his mother and said, “Momma, I don’t want to go out there. It’s dark.” The mother smiled reassuringly at her son. “You don’t have to be afraid of the dark,” she explained. “Jesus is out there.” He’ll look after you and protect you.” The little boy looked at his mother real hard and asked, “Are you sure he’s out there?” “Yes, I’m sure. He is everywhere, and he is always ready to help you when you need him,” she said. The little boy thought about that for a minute, then went to the back door and cracked it a little. Peering out into the darkness, he called, “Jesus? If you’re out there would you please hand me that broom?”
Some things must be believed before they can be seen…it’s called faith. In Jesus’ own country (Nazareth) he taught family, relatives, and friends right in His hometown. He preached in their synagogue and they were all astonished, wondering where He had learned so much wisdom. After all they knew Him. He was the first born son of Mary. He came from a poor family. He had never studied in the synagogue. He learned the trade of Joseph – a carpenter. They knew his family. So they were offended. They did not believe that this boy they had watched grow up in their town could possible be the Messiah they had all been waiting for.
To me, Matthew 13:58 is one of the saddest verses in Scripture. Because of their unbelief, Jesus did not do the mighty miracles that he had done in other places. How many people missed out on what Jesus wanted and could have done for them had they only had faith. I do not believe in a “name it and claim it” theology that teaches if God doesn’t answer a prayer its because you didn’t have enough faith. However, I do believe there are times that God’s answer to our prayers are tied to the extent of our faith. At the same time, God would not answer a prayer if he knew that it was somehow not in our best interest. So while we might think we want that prayer answered, God always knows what’s best and He will only do what is good for us because He is a good God. If you were to ask God why he didn’t answer a prayer, would His response be “O ye of little faith” or would it be something like, “Because I love you and want something even better for you that you can’t yet see.” Don’t be like the people in Jesus’ home town. Believe so you can see.
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