“A prophet is not without honor except in his own town, among his relatives and in his own home.”
MARK 6:4 (NIV)
My Story:
Sharing Jesus with the people we love most can be one of the hardest things we ever do. After accepting Jesus as my Lord and Savior at around age 26, I hit the ground running; excited about my newfound faith and hungry to know everything the Lord had to say through His Word.
Looking back, I’m sure I was quite obnoxious in how I shared this new revelation with my friends and family. Yet the truth I was sharing was real: that they too could be free from a life of bondage and have a loving relationship with Jesus. Much of that excitement, mixed with newfound knowledge and only a little wisdom, fell on deaf ears, and was sometimes met with mockery.
It was extremely hard for them to see me in this new light, especially since they had known me my whole life up until that point with no awareness or acknowledgment of Jesus. Living 3,000 miles away and seeing them only twice a year made the changes seem even more drastic. My process of sanctification was outwardly visible, and my vocal assertiveness about Jesus was off-putting to them.
Jesus Faced It Too
This is not uncommon. Jesus faced the very same thing. Mark 6:1–6 recaps how the people in His hometown rejected Him. And unlike me, He was not obnoxious or off-putting in how He shared the truth. He was Jesus! God in the flesh. He was perfect and His message and delivery were perfect.
Yet they questioned Him: Who is this? Where did this wisdom come from? Isn’t this the son of Mary, the brother of James, Joseph, Judas, and Simon? Don’t his sisters live here among us? Their familiarity with Him became a stumbling block to their faith. Their unbelief was so great that Jesus marveled at it. What was His response? He went on to teach in other villages instead. They missed out on the Lord and Savior because of their unbelief, even as miracles were performed right in front of them and truth was being proclaimed.
Don’t Be Discouraged
God knows that as we try to minister to those closest to us, there will often be great rejection. The good news is that they are never forgotten by God. I used to be deeply discouraged watching friends and family turn away from the Lord as I shared my faith, but in my years of walking with Him, I’ve come to understand something freeing: my assignment is to spread the Gospel, but I am not the only one with that assignment.
My friends and family may not receive it from me. But through my prayers, God can send someone else whose voice they will hear. There is someone out there already assigned to reach them, and my continued intercession in prayer may be the very thing that opens the door.
We all have people we care about who reject the truth of God’s Word coming from us. Do not be discouraged! God does not want one soul to perish, but all to come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9). Just because the truth may not come through you doesn’t mean it won’t be delivered. Keep praying. Keep being salt and light. Trust that God has a purpose and a plan…to prosper and not to harm, and certainly not to abandon anyone by not allowing them to hear the truth.
REFLECT & APPLY
1. Is there someone in your life who has rejected the Gospel coming from you? How can you release that burden to God today?
2. In what ways can you be “salt and light” to your loved ones without words, through your actions and character?
3. How does knowing that Jesus Himself was rejected by those closest to Him bring you comfort in your own experience?
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