Letting God do what he'd like to

I remember my surprise when I first read in the Gospels that there were some things that Jesus couldn’t do. Mark records Jesus as saying, “I was astounded at their unbelief; it prevented me from doing miracles there” (6.5). All who knew him back there in Nazareth were impressed by his gentle manner, but not by what his words implied. How could a simple Galilean peasant, untrained in matters biblical, claim to have come in fulfillment of prophecy? Astounded at their unbelief, Jesus said it “It prevented me from doing miracles there” (Mark 6.5).
       One might ask, “But isn’t God able to do whatever he wants to do.” And the answer, based on this one verse, would be, “No.” The Greek text is clear – Jesus lacked the dunamis (the “dynamite”) for doing any miracles there in his hometown. One scholar writes that this is “one of the boldest statements in the Gospels” because it identifies something Jesus could not do. Note, however, that it iwas a self-imposed restriction. In God’s redemptive plan there is no place for him bullying anyone into anything – he is a gentleman. He does not save those who reject his offer. The miracle of the new birth follows the faith of the sinner.
       So, how does this affect our life today? Are we by actions or attitudes preventing “miraculous things” from happening? And the answer to that appears to be Yes. For instance, God cannot answer prayers we never utter. We limit him by our negligence. Imagine your life as a scroll. Now think of that scroll as containing everything that God had ever prompted you to do. I believe that the many things he wanted you do but wouldn’t ask for, demonstrates that, in a limited sense you are more powerful than he. To change the metaphor, he allowed you to veto what he would like to have done. After all, the text says that he was “not able to do miracles there,” and the reason is, “your unbelief.”
       This raises an interesting possibility. If God won’t act unless we allow him, what about staying so close to him and confident of his desire to save that miracles begin to show up everywhere? We, by our absolute faith in his ability and his willingness, can say to him, “I’m so glad there’s nothing that you can’t do if I don’t, by my lack of faith, keep you from doing it. Incredible! Talk about a call to action!
       To those in his hometown, Jesus quoted the old maxim, “A prophet is held in high regard except in his own town.” His point was that elsewhere throughout Galilee and beyond people believed what he said and what he could do and that him freed him to teach, heal, encourage, inspire, or whatever else was needed. Our role, it appears, is to grant him permission. What a joyous task!