CHANGE IS HARD, EVEN WHEN IT IS GOOD!

February 16, 2016

CHANGE IS HARD, EVEN WHEN IT IS GOOD!

Matthew 13:53–58

Gaby Duke

Central Truth

The people of Jesus' hometown took offense at Him and His teaching. Why might it have been hard for them to accept Him as the Messiah?

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." (Matthew 13:57)

Jesus Rejected at Nazareth

53 And when Jesus had finished these parables, he went away from there, 54 and coming to his hometown he taught them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished, and said, “Where did this man get this wisdom and these mighty works? 55 Is not this the carpenter's son? Is not his mother called Mary? And are not his brothers James and Joseph and Simon and Judas? 56 And are not all his sisters 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 mighty works there, because of their unbelief.

As I read this passage, I thought, "How do I interpret this passage and apply it to my life?" Here we have Jesus showing wisdom and mighty works in His hometown, and yet the people who saw Him for the majority of His life chose to not believe Him. They took offense at Him. They questioned His authenticity in verse 55. Since Jesus' earthly father was a carpenter, it was expected that He would follow that same trade. In a time when that was the way things were, it was hard for people who saw Him grow up among them to accept the man they saw teaching in the synagogue with full authority. But Jesus was different, and He had a different mission.

When things aren't familiar, it can take people aback. I believe this is partly because the person of Jesus is not about complacency. Jesus is about transforming lives. Although He was fully human and had the appearance of a man, He was also fully God. Jesus was the Messiah, but His own people did not recognize Him as such. He was the promised One who could save them from their sin, but they chose not to accept that.

For a long time, I wanted to do things my way and refused to believe what God's Word said about His love and transforming power. I was frustrated with various areas of my life; but because I wanted control and because the old feelings were familiar, it was hard to give these things over to God. Anger, anxiety, and discontentment were a part of my daily life. But, for various reasons, I felt in control by staying angry about situations and even by being anxious because at times I thought it would prepare me "if something bad happened." Once I finally allowed Christ into my life and started abiding in Him, I experienced the most beautiful transformation. I am no longer anxious and now see my hearing loss as a gift that allows me to connect with those in the Deaf community. For the first time, I know what it's like to feel pure joy and peace.

1. Is familiarity and comfort keeping you from having a relationship with Christ?

2. In what ways are you reluctant to respond to Christ's calling? Do you believe that He has an amazing plan for your life if you trust in Him and then abide in Him?

3. If you have accepted Christ, take a moment to thank Him for everything He has done for you. Then, think about the areas of your life that Christ and His Word would have you change and begin to pray about accepting those changes.