Passage of the Day - November 6, 2013

Matthew 13:53-58

 

⁵³ When Jesus had finished these parables, He departed from there. ⁵⁴ He came to His hometown and began teaching them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished, and said, “Where did this man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers? ⁵⁵ Is not this the carpenter’s son? Is not His mother called Mary, and His brothers, James and Joseph and Simon and Judas? ⁵⁶ And His sisters, are they not all with us? Where then did this man get all these things?” ⁵⁷ And they took offense at Him. But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown and in his own household.” ⁵⁸ And He did not do many miracles there because of their unbelief.

 

In showbiz, there is a term called typecasting.  An actor is so successful and beloved in one type of role, it is hard for the actor to find a different kind of role.  The same is often true in our family, among our friends, and our acquaintances. 

 

Jesus likely lived a fairly normal humble and quiet life before He began His ministry.  He did not seek attention.  He did not show off how much He knew about scripture.  He simply obeyed the law and honored his parents.  Then, after He was anointed by the Holy Spirit at His baptism, He began to fulfill His mission.  Again, He did not seek attention or show off how much He knew about scripture.  He simply preached the gospel, the Good News of the kingdom.  It was the Message that He spoke and the miracles He performed to help some and instruct others that garnered the attention.  This was out of character for the Jesus that the Nazarenes knew.  They painted their own mental picture of who He was and He was scribbling all over it.

 

What do we forsake when we focus more on meeting people’s expectations at the expense of the mission God has called and anointed us to?

 

Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®,
© Copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation
Used by permission." (http://www.lockman.org/)