“Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? Are not His sisters here with us?” And they took offense at Him.
(Mark 6:3)
The people of Nazareth knew Jesus. They had seen Him grow up and watched Him with His brothers and sisters… and they were offended by Him. If it could happen to Him, we can’t expect to escape the same. The proximity effect can create a world where the people we love the most are the slowest to hear the good news.
Don’t give up hope – Jesus’ family eventually got there, and certainly some other citizens of Nazareth did, too. Letting our lights shine can often be a long-term process that involves scandalizing and offending people with God’s ways before their hearts are touched over time. Just let your light shine and don’t be dissuaded by the short-term offense that it brings with it. If it was good enough for our Lord, it is good enough for us.
Matthew 4:4 #Biblebites