Familiarity and criticism

Matthew 13 : 54 - 58

...they took offense at him....

I was speaking about how certain members of my family have not changed over the years......and how this creates the usual tension in me (actually more my frustration over their seeming inability to change certain ways of doing things) and even leads me into spiritual desolation. My spiritual friend reminded me that people are slow to change, very slow in fact and all we can do on our part (rather than getting worked up....) is to ask for the grace to change ourselves - that is, in order to see them in different light. Perhaps they do need an encouraging word at times, or even a challenging word - but those should come from a place of grace, rather than despairing criticism. It is always those nearest and dearest to us that we take 'offense' at because we think we know them 'only too well'.

Jesus had his share of misunderstanding from his village kin. They saw evidence of his wisdom and works, but were blinded to the real truth about his identity. They were closed, had made up their minds that he couldn't be more than the neighborhood boy grown up. They could not hear, let alone understand the good news he came to share.

Even now, people's responses to Jesus depend on how they view him. If he is just another great teacher and his message is just another religious one, among all the others, then they stop listening. Sometimes as believers we get too familiar with the gospel - allowing it to speak to us in only one way - "that's the way I've been taught".......and hence we stop hearing new things - we stop allowing the newness of the word surprise us and shake our ground - familiarity can lead to losing the treasures offered us.