Tall Prophet Syndrome

Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own town, among his relatives and in his own home.”

Mark 6.4, NIV

The first six verses of Mark 6 tell a story that sounds a lot like Nazareth suffered from ‘Tall Poppy Syndrome’. In Australia this relates to anyone who is doing well, running the risk of being cut down to size. The Asian equivalent is usually expressed in terms of ‘the nail that sticks up, gets hammered down’.

The main thread is easy enough to understand: people are amazed when the person they remember as a growing boy comes back to town with a big reputation and words of great wisdom. Unfortunately, as they reflect on the fact that they also know his mother and brothers and – reading between the lines – that some of them have married his sisters, they decide to take offense. The result is that they have so little faith that even Jesus is unable to do any miracle there, other than healing a few sick people.

(And yes, that – seeing a few people healed – would be a really good day in most of our churches! )

So there is a simple decision to make: when you choose to take offense, you are choosing not to have faith.

But verse 4 reads a little differently in the Greek. As we have it in most English versions, prophets are generally honoured: just not at home. The Greek is a little different: “a prophet is not dishonoured, except in his own country and among his relatives and in his own house.”

Maybe this seems a little subtle, but it is a healthier picture. It is not about according honour to someone because they are a prophet: the Bible (actually Paul) tells us to “test everything, and to hold fast to what is good and true”.

So it isn’t about honoring people because of a label they carry; but for goodness sake, don’t dishonour someone just because you are jealous or think you know them. Let them speak and if faith arises, miracles will follow.

If you just take offense, then nothing is going to happen. You may think your skepticism is thereby vindicated, but really you have just become an object lesson: don’t take offense, it removes the possibility of receiving!