“They took offence at him”. A more literal translation is:” They were scandalized by him”. The original Greek word is “scandalum” meaning a ‘stumbling block’. What is one person’s stumbling block can be another’s stepping stone.
St Mark tells us that Jesus “could do no good deed of power there”. Isn’t it extraordinary to think that there are situations where we can “tie God’s hands”. Holman Hunt’s famous painting in St Paul’s Cathedral, London has Jesus the Good Shepherd knocking on a door without a latch. He explained that the door of our heart can only be opened from the inside. With God there is no forcible entry. The decision to admit Him into our hearts is ours.