I’m fascinated at the text in Matt 13. Jesus returned to his hometown. The place where he grew up. The villagers knew him well. They knew his ordinary parents, and his unremarkable home. They knew his brothers and sisters and witnessed all their awkward teenage years. “Nothing special here,” they thought.
Just like us, their future expectations were shaped by their experience. In this case, the people remember Jesus as the smelly teenager, with the high-pitched voice, tripping over his own feet. Those memories have shaped their expectations of Jesus, but not in a good way. They have no positive expectation of Jesus and that neuters his influence. “And so he did only a few miracles there because of their unbelief.” Matthew 13:58
Perhaps we are also stuck because of unbelief. Upon seeing that, I am instantly reminded of the man in Mark 9. His son is possessed, and he approaches Jesus for help. “Help, if you can.” He suggests. “What do you mean, ‘If I can’?” Jesus asked. “Anything is possible if a person believes.” The father instantly cried out, “I do believe, but help me overcome my unbelief!” Mark 9:23-24 (NLT)
That is worth repeating. “Anything is possible if a person believes.” (Mark 9:23)