Good Morning Friends,
“Coming to his hometown, Jesus 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 all his sisters with us? Where then did this
man get all these things?’ And they took offense at him. But Jesus said to
them, ‘Only in his hometown and in his own house is a prophet without honor.’ And
he did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith.” (Matthew
13:53-58)
Sometimes it is hardest to listen to those who
are most familiar to you. Even Jesus encountered this phenomenon when He visited
Nazareth, His hometown. The people there had known Jesus growing up and they
knew His family. How could He teach them anything? What made Him so special? And
so they ignored Him, to their own disadvantage! They missed out on what Jesus
could do for them and what He could teach them because of their prejudices
against Him.
Have you ever encountered that kind of
prejudice against you? Sometimes it comes through our own fault. Sometimes our
lives don’t bear the scrutiny of familiarity! Those who know us best listen to
us least because they know what we’re really like, even when we let our guard
down. The challenge is to reflect the life of Christ at all times, even when we
are tired or hurting, even when we are at home. Not even that will always cause
others listen to us, but it helps!
Then there is the other side of the issue, too.
Do you ignore what is said by those most familiar to you? Is there a messenger
in your own household that you don’t realize has something to teach you? Your
wife, husband, or even your own child! God doesn’t always choose an outside
“expert” to bring His message to us. Sometimes it comes from where you least
expect it, from someone most familiar to you. Listen to them. Listen to Him!
His, by Grace, Steve
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