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Day 34 Matthew 13:54 Matthew 13:54 And when he was come into his own country, he taught them in their synagogue, insomuch that they were astonished, and said, Whence hath this man this wisdom, and these mighty works? 55 Is not this the carpenter’s son? Is not his mother called Mary? And his brethren, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas? 56 And his sisters, are they not all with us? Whence then hath this man all these things? 57 And they were offended in him. But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honor, save in his own country, and in his own house. 58 And he did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief. At the end of every high school year, you received yearbooks, and people wrote in them. Along with well-wishes for a good future, were some thoughts about that future, especially if your friends knew your plans. Along with the yearbook was the school newspaper with predictions about what you were likely to do in your future. Have you gone back to read those since you first received them? They can be quite enlightening. Nazareth wasn’t a large town, just a small village. Everybody knew each other, who their parents were, the kind of education they had, and what you would likely become. So, when Jesus returned to Nazareth, he was met with lots of skepticism about his miracles and teachings. They could not believe that someone who came from the parents he did, and had the brothers and sisters he did, could do such things. It’s hard to get away from the stigma of your youth and family. People perceive you one way and they won’t change their opinion of you, just because you happen to have a PHD, and have accolades about the things you’ve accomplished. They see you as the snot-nosed kid who tramped their neighborhoods and played with their children when you were little. As Christians, you face the same stigma. People remember you for what you were before you became a Christian. They knew you as a man or woman of the world, ready to take on any dare or have fun partying all night. They aren’t ready to accept the new you. The you who goes to church, reads your Bible, prays, and sings Christian songs and listens to Christian music. They aren’t prepared for you standing in front of a congregation teaching or preaching a message on the hope that lies in you. 1 Peter 3:12 For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil. 13 And who is he that will harm you, if ye be followers of that which is good? 14 But and if ye suffer for righteousness’ sake, happy are ye: and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled; 15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asks you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear: 16 Having a good conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ. Jesus said a prophet is not without honor except in his own country and in his own family. Because of it, he couldn’t do very much among the people he grew up with. Still it does not say he couldn’t do anything. There were still some people who believed the change in him. You have those friends as well, those who believe in you and what you’ve made of yourself. As for your family, they might never believe anything good about you until after you die. Jesus had two half-brothers who went on to write two books of the New Testament, Jude and James. They understood who he was after he rose from the dead, not before. It was then their eyes were opened to the truth of what God intended for him from the beginning. You know who you are in Jesus Christ. Don’t let people’s opinions of you bring you down, just move on and let your work speak for you. Let’s pray: Father, you know who I am, you know what people think of me. Help me keep my eyes on you and not on their opinions. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen. Copyright © 23 May 2018 by Valerie Routhieaux Image courtesy of Pixabay