Think of a time when you were utterly astonished and marveled over something you saw, or heard. To marvel at something is to stop everything and reflect on what just happened; it is not just something that surprised you because you didn’t expect it. Once, when I was the best man at my friend’s wedding, we were waiting in the kitchen of a little country church, and he was so nervous he decided to find a ladle to get a glass of punch from the bowl. Suddenly he said: “This is unbelievable! Look at this!” He was looking at an ice cube which remained in the ladle after he poured the punch into a cup. He kept asking, “How can it do that?” He went to the window for more light to examine the ladle, then burst out laughing! There was a spider web across the bottom half of the ladle, which allowed a cube to enter the ladle when submerged in the bowl, but retained it when poured out. So much for a new invention!

That is a light-hearted example of marveling, but the point is we marvel over something which is so unique or unusual, that we desire to explore it further. The New Testament is full of miracles which Jesus did, and how the people marveled at Jesus, astonished that He could heal blindness, lameness, cast out demons and raise the dead. Indeed, people have marveled at Jesus since His birth over two thousand years ago. Jesus is God become flesh; that in itself is something beyond people’s comprehension, until their life is changed by Him.

What is interesting, however, is that there are two events recorded in the New Testament that caused Jesus to marvel. One of them is found in Mark 6:1-6, where Jesus went back to Nazareth, His boyhood home. On the Sabbath He went to the synagogue and began to teach the people about God. They were initially astonished, and marveled at Jesus. In their astonishment they said: “Where did this man get these things, and what is this wisdom given Him, and such miracles as these performed by His hands?” (Mark 6:2 NASB). But they suddenly started badmouthing Jesus and taking offense at Him. Jesus responded: “A prophet is not without honor, except in his home town and among his relatives in his household.” (Mark 6:4 NASB). The passage finishes by saying that Jesus didn’t do great miracles there because of their unbelief. It was not the lack of faith, but their rejection of faith, that caused Jesus to marvel at their unbelief. Of all the people in Israel, and beyond, who encountered Jesus is His wisdom, power, and miracles, His hometown and family rejected Him. This was seemingly unthinkable, yet some lacked the faith to believe and receive Jesus as God coming to them.

Granted, many of His family later became believers. But initially, much of the family gave into local peer pressure to reject Jesus as the Christ. Jesus marveled at their unbelief. So, one of the things that astonishes Jesus is when people who have seen Him work miracles in the lives of their family or friends, yet choose to remain unbelievers. What more could He do, than He has done? Nothing more. He came to live among us, died for us so we could be forgiven, raised from death so we too can live beyond death. Why would anyone say “No” to His free gift of eternal life with God?

The other incident that caused Jesus to marvel is found in Matthew 8:5-13. As Jesus entered Capernaum, a Roman centurion pleaded with Him to heal his severely ill servant. Jesus said He would come heal him. The centurion said that he was not worthy for Jesus to come to his home, but “Just say the word, and my servant will be healed.” (Matthew 8:8). The centurion said that as a commander of a legion, when he speaks a command, it is done. Just give the command, Lord, and he will be healed.

Then in Matthew 10:10 (NASB), Jesus marveled and said to the people: “Truly I say to you, I have not found such great faith in anyone in Israel.” Then Jesus told Him: “Let it be done to you as you have believed.” (Matt. 10:13).

Jesus marveled at the man’s faith, who was a gentile and a commander in the Roman army. Yet he had greater faith than so many people who grew up studying the Old Testament and attending synagogue.

So does your life cause Jesus to marvel over you today? Would it be for your faith, or lack of it?

Award-winning columnist Dr. Ed Jordan is pastor of Gwynn’s Island Baptist Church, Gwynn, VA. He can be reached at szent.edward@gmail.com.