When Jesus had finished telling these stories and illustrations [about the Kingdom], he left [Capernaum]. He returned to Nazareth, his hometown. When he taught there in the synagogue, everyone was amazed and said, "Where does he get this wisdom and the power to do miracles?" Then they scoffed, "He's just the carpenter's son, and we know Mary, his mother, and his brothers — James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas. All his sisters live right here among us. Where did he learn all these things?"
It's so easy to put people in boxes, to neatly categorize them based on opinions we've had of them in the past. We don't want to let people change. Even more damnable, we don't want our opinions of them to change, even if our opinions were wrong or misguided. For Jesus, the hometown folk had already put him in a box - Mary's boy, the carpenter's son, brother of some folks, no big deal. After all, it was Nazareth and
"Can anything good could come out of Nazareth?" (
John 1:46) No big deal. Not from our town. Not from one of our boys. "Don't get too big for your britches, boy!" is what he'd be told today. "We know who you are, boy, and you ain't that great." Familiarity bred contempt just like wrong expectations sank their dreams. But they were wrong! Not just a little wrong, VERY wrong. And today, when a person is in Christ, s/he can also be different from our expectations. There can be no putting of people in boxes in Jesus' family because there are no boxes big enough or strong enough to contain one in whom the King of glory lives!
Father, please correct me and forgive me when I put people in boxes and do not allow room for Christ to change my view of them. Thank you for changing and transforming me and please give me the grace to encourage others, not discourage or criticize them, when they are trying to let Christ change them. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.
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