This title does not sound right, somehow.  As believers in Jesus, we believe He is precious.  1 Peter 2:7-8 says, "Now to you who believe, this stone is precious.  But to those who do not believe, 'The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,' and, 'A stone that causes people to stumble and a rock that makes them fall.'  They stumble because they disobey the message".  Jesus did not cause offence because He was good, but because He is God whose purity exposes sin, whose power reveals the limitations of human ability and whose Word must be obeyed.

People in Nazareth were offended because He spoke with divine authority and did what only God could do (Mark 6:1-3).  As Jesus demonstrated the goodness of God, skeletons of past sin, present pride and future ungodly ambitions jangled within those who refused to believe.  And this was felt most keenly in Jesus' home town, where He was known and where the 'leading lights' were embarrassed that He outshone them. Apart from healing a few people, most stubbornly refused to believe in Jesus.  So, He moved on to other places where people welcomed Him (Luke 4:43).

God's power is unlimited, and His love is unconditional ... but!  The big 'but' is that, where there is no faith, God's blessings cannot be recognised and received with gratitude.  God is not reluctant to pour out His mercy, but unbelieving people refuse to accept it - or thank Him.  Such openness to His divine authority would make Him their Master: and the benefits of the Kingdom only come to those who submit themselves to the King.  And few of His family/friends/neighbours in Nazareth had any intention of doing that (John 7:5).  His holiness was so unnerving that even His relatives wanted to silence Him (Mark 3:20, 31-33).

Is stubborn faithless religion a part of church life today?  Do we think we own Jesus, rather than the other way around?  Are we glad to have Jesus to call on in our need, but are surprised when He fails to do what we command?  When He speaks or acts in a way we do not expect, do we rejoice in His intervention or feel uncomfortable that we are not in control?  Anything short of eagerly welcoming the words and work of Christ in our daily circumstances, poorly advertises Christ to a sick world.  However, true faith (an expectation that Jesus will act in power to glorify His name) is often the prelude to an outpouring of blessing that even the sceptics cannot ignore.  Trust Him and see how God will move some of your friends and colleagues to seek Him and receive His blessing (Matthew 11:6).