Mark 6:6 - Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

He marvelled, because of their unbelief— He wondered at their perverseness, in rejecting him upon such unreasonable grounds as the meanness of his parentage. The Jews in general mistook their own prophesies, by expecting that the Messiah would exalt their nation to the highest pitch of wealth and power: this was an end unworthy of so grand an interposition of Providence. When the eternal Son of God came down from heaven, he had somethinginfinitely more noble in view; namely, that by suffering and dying, he might destroy him who hath the power of death, that byinnumerable benefits he might overcome his enemies, that by the bonds of truth he might restrain the rebellious motions of men's wills, that by the sword of the Spirit he might destroy their predominant lusts, and that, by giving them the spiritual armour, he might put them into a condition to fight for the incorruptible inheritance, and might exaltthemtothejoyfulpossessionofthe riches and honour of immortality: wherefore, as these characters of the Messiah were in a great measure unknown to the Jews, he who possessed them was not the object of their expectation; and though he laid claim to their submission by the most stupendous miracles,—instead of convincing them, these miracles made him who performed them obnoxious to the hottest resentment of that proud, covetous, sensual people. It seems they could not bear to see one so low in life as Jesus was, doing things which they fancied were peculiar to that idol of their vanity, a glorious triumphant secular Messiah. Our Lord, therefore, having made this second trial,with a view to see whether the Nazarenes would endure his ministry, and to shew to the world that his not residing in part among them was owing to their stubbornness and wickedness, he left them; and in this example the evil and punishment ofmisimproving spiritual advantages is clearly set forth before all who hear the Gospel.