Matthew 13:54-57
Coming to his hometown, he
began teaching the people in their synagogue, and they were amazed. “Where did this man get this wisdom and these
miraculous powers?” they asked. “Isn’t this the carpenter’s son? Isn’t his mother’s name Mary, and aren’t his brothers James, Joseph,
Simon and Judas? Aren’t his sisters with us? Where did this man get all
these things?” And they took offense
at him.
A few years ago I decided to go
back to my hometown for the 30th reunion of my high school class. My family had
moved away from the area within months of my graduation and I had only visited once in all those
years.
The first event of the weekend was
a cookout at a classmate’s home. I remember parking in the street outside the
address and just sitting in my car for at least 15 minutes. I was surprised by
the anxiety I felt. I found myself wondering who would be there that I would
remember? I wondered if people would recognize me? It had been so long! I
wondered if I had dressed appropriately? What would people think of me? How
would they react when they found out I had become a pastor? Would they be
impressed? Would they laugh?
Then it dawned on me that I felt
just like I used to feel in 8th or 9th grade; awkward, unsure of myself, and
just wanting to be accepted!
In this rather obscure text from
Matthew’s gospel we are
given a glimpse into what it was like for Jesus to return to his hometown.
From what we are able to learn
from the gospels, Jesus grew up in Nazareth, where he likely inherited his
father’s carpentry
business. Then when he was about 30 years old he left Nazareth and moved to the
region of Capernaum in Galilee, where he began what we know as his public
ministry. He called his first disciples and began his teaching and healing
ministry.
At some point, it seems, he
returned for a short time to his home town, only to find his friends and even
his family unwilling to accept the change that had taken place.
“Where did this man get this wisdom and these
miraculous powers?” they asked. “Isn’t this the carpenter’s son? Isn’t his mother’s name Mary, and aren’t his brothers James, Joseph,
Simon and Judas? Aren’t his sisters with us? Where did this man get all
these things?” And they took offense
at him.
I think we should notice several
important things here. First, it seems clear that Jesus grew up in a family
with siblings. There has been much debate through the centuries about whether
Mary and Joseph had other children after Jesus’
miraculous birth. Some traditions have
argued that Mary did not have any other children and that we are to understand
the reference to “brothers” and “sisters” as referring to cousins. However, the clearest reading
of the language, and the clearest meaning of the context, is that Jesus did, in
fact, grow up in a family with younger brothers and sisters.
Second, we should notice that
those who knew him best; those who grew up with him; those who used the tables
and chairs he built with his carpenter’s hands were those who struggled to believe he was the
Son of God. We see that Jesus experienced rejection from those who were closest
to him.
I think I can understand why that
may have been so. Imagine how difficult it would be to accept that your brother
or your best friend from grade school was God become flesh! How are you
supposed to believe that?
In a similar way I have heard many
people describe experiencing rejection or skepticism from their family or
friends when trying to share their own spiritual transformation.
They hear things like, “So you think you’re better than us now because you found God?”
Sometimes the hardest place to
live out the gospel is in our own families or in our closest circle of friends.
One would imagine that Jesus had
to feel the sting of rejection from his friends and family. All we know from
the gospel accounts is that he returned to Galilee and continued to preach and
teach and heal many; and that he eventually submitted to the cross.
We also know that at some point
following the resurrection Jesus appeared to his brother James (1 Corinthians
15:7) and that James not only believed, but became a leader of the church in
Jerusalem and author of the book that bears his name.
It’s likely that some reading this devotional are the
only follower of Christ in their family. Some may have experienced the
rejection of friends because of their faith. Take heart! Jesus also knew what
rejection was like; but he continued to obey the Father and the result was that
many, including his brother James, eventually came to faith.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment