Keep Trying!
Mark 6:4 – Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown and among his own relatives and in his own house.”
Nothing is more crushing than to be rejected by the ones you love! Who comes to mind…a child, a sibling, a spouse. When do you give up and no longer bother reaching out to them? Fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me. It would be foolish to keep on helping and reaching out to people who reject our love and kindness, right?
Jesus had to deal with this very thing in his family. Jesus reminds us that a prophet (one who speaks God’s word) is without honor in his hometown and among his relatives. Jesus spoke these words in Nazareth, the very place he grew up and where most if not all his closest relatives lived. He was in Nazareth to proclaim the good news that he is the one who would bring freedom to the captive. He even tried to reach his natural brothers and sisters, but they rejected him and thought he was out of his mind. They did not believe in him as the Savior who was promised.
As we live out our lives as God’s people, our goal is to spread the good news. Who better to proclaim the good news to than our family members and those closest to us. You would think they would listen to us since they know us so well, but many times they reject what we have to say to them. They may even go as far as calling us names. Jesus even tells us this is going to happen. Why should we even bother?
Imagine if your father or mother or someone close to you thought that way about you? Imagine if Jesus took on that attitude? No one would even bother to keep proclaiming the good news! But thanks be to God that Jesus did not give up proclaiming the good news of forgiveness and eternal life to his hometown and to his family. Thank God those closest to you did not give up on telling you the good news!
This is why we keep trying! You never know when the good news will break through the stone-cold heart of sin. Jesus finally broke through to his family. After his death and resurrection, we know two of his brothers became his disciples, James and Jude. This is a great reminder for us to keep trying. They are worth it both to us and to our Savior even if they reject the message.
Savior of all, forgive us for the times we have given up on a close friend or relative. Empower us with your love to keep trying to bring them the good news of forgiveness and life. If it be your will, let us see faith be created or rekindled in a loved one who has rejected your word. We leave them in your gracious hands. Amen.