Mary Faced Her Neighbors' Doubts
Daily Scripture
Matthew 13:54-57
54 When he came to his hometown, he taught the people in their synagogue. They were surprised and said, “Where did he get this wisdom? Where did he get the power to work miracles? 55 Isn’t he the carpenter’s son? Isn’t his mother named Mary? Aren’t James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas his brothers? 56 And his sisters, aren’t they here with us? Where did this man get all this?” 57 They were repulsed by him and fell into sin.
But Jesus said to them, “Prophets are honored everywhere except in their own hometowns and in their own households.”
Daily Reflection & Prayer
Due to centuries of Christian tradition, we sometimes assume that Jesus and his family always had haloes around their heads, clearly superior to everyone else. But that would not have fit with the reality of Jesus’ mission (cf. Philippians 2:5-8). In fact, when Jesus went to his hometown, many people responded by saying, in effect, “Who does he think he is? We know his mother and brothers—they’re nothing special.” That must have pained Mary as much or more than it did Jesus.
- “Those in the synagogue name Jesus’ family as proof that he isn’t anyone special. Recall that status in the ancient world was based less on one’s accomplishments and more on one’s family roots.” * If you were God, would you choose to come as the Messiah to a family as poor and “ordinary” as Mary and Joseph’s, rather than to a prominent, powerful, highly respected and respectable family? What are some of the key ways God’s values challenge yours?
- “Matthew places this incident right after the long series of Jesus’ parables of the kingdom, and it’s a stark warning to anyone who might suppose that Jesus’ teaching was meant to be a matter of simple and straightforward lessons about life, morality, spirituality or whatever, that anyone with half a brain would pick up easily. Far from it. This ‘teaching’, if we want to call it that, is shocking, explosive and dangerous.” ** In what ways has Jesus’ message had an “explosive” effect on you?
Prayer
Lord Jesus, your servant John Ortberg wrote the shocking sentence, “Jesus was not a great man.” *** Ortberg wasn’t insulting you but reflecting how you change our ideas of true greatness. Change any of mine that don’t fit in your kingdom. Amen.
GPS Insights
Anna Herholz
Anna Herholz is a sophomore at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, studying Psychology on the Physician's Assistant track. She served as an intern in Resurrection Student Ministry last summer. She grew up at Resurrection since she was little and went on multiple service trips as a student which inspired her to be an intern in Student Ministry. In her free time, she loves working out, going on walks, and going out to eat!
When I initially read Matthew 13:55, I envision the town being full of judgment. While Jesus is teaching, the crowd he is in front of is not in awe of His message. Instead they are challenging him wondering where this wisdom is coming from. The townspeople already have an impression of Jesus from his childhood. It is difficult for these people to take in Jesus’ words without picturing the child they once knew almost scolding them. That is why I think they are initially a little offended by his teachings because they read the situation thinking that this kid they knew growing up now thinks He is better than them.
When I put myself in the town’s shoes, I think of how I can sometimes be narrow-minded and quick to judge, just as they were to Jesus. As much as I wish I could say that I am
non-judgmental and open to new perspectives, my human nature is to judge new or different situations. As you may have read in my bio, I am a Psychology major at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. I am currently taking (almost finishing up) a cognitive psychology class. One topic we are currently talking about is the Implicit Association Test and “thin slicing.” Thin slicing says our unconscious human nature is to judge a situation or a person very quickly even with little information, and the Implicit Association Test is used to test our unconscious associations between concepts or stereotypes.
While this is unfortunately human nature (and our unconscious thoughts seem to do it anyway), we are called as Christians to be open-minded to unknown circumstances, people, and situations as much as possible. How can we continue to show our unwavering love in unique situations or with people who we may not share a perspective with?
Growing up, I thought I could never be a fantastic Christian because I didn’t go to church five times a week, or I felt like I didn’t belong there when the offering basket got passed around because I was young and did not have a job or money. I remember my friends telling me that Church of the Resurrection wasn’t a “real church” because we had so much fun (I laugh at this now). People often expect Christians to live overly spiritual lives, but in reality, we are ordinary people looking to seek a relationship that glorifies God in the best way we can. God welcomes us wherever we are in our journey.
I think the underlying message in this Scripture is that as Christians, we need to be less like the people in the town. We are called to embrace the unknown and have faith in unknown or uncomfortable circumstances. While we may have unconscious biases, our job as the Church is to greet every person, situation, or conversation, with open arms, open hearts, and open minds.
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Scripture quotations are taken from The Common English Bible ©2011. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
References
* Eugene Eung-Chun Park and Joel B. Green, study note on Matthew 13:55 in The CEB Study Bible. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2013, p. 32 NT.
** Wright, N. T., Matthew for Everyone, Part 1: Chapters 1-15 (The New Testament for Everyone) (p. 179). Westminster John Knox Press. Kindle Edition.
*** Ortberg, John, Who Is This Man?: The Unpredictable Impact of the Inescapable Jesus (p. 74). HarperCollins Christian Publishing. Kindle Edition.
