Matthew 13:57 “And they took offense at Him. But Jesus said to them, ‘A prophet is not without honor except in his own town and in his own home.’”

Family dynamics are funny! They ebb and flow depending on which members are together, but often fall in place early in the family’s development. This interesting structure is never more obvious than at family gatherings.

Many of us have just enjoyed family reunions. As I watched the interactions among all our family members during the holiday events, I noticed how different, yet how similar, things were to the past. At times like these, with close kin, nobody seems to know or care about all the education and degrees a person has accomplished.

You may be called Dr. at work, but in your home group, you’re just Little Brother Jimmy. Even when the baby has added a few gray hairs, she is still remembered as the kid sister.

It can be reassuring to fall back into the comfort of old family patterns where you can just be yourself, but sometimes it can be a real problem. Jesus spoke about the devastating effects of not moving out of the old days for his earthly family and hometown.

After traveling many miles and performing many miracles Jesus arrived back at His childhood home. As was His custom, He began teaching in the synagogue. All the homies sat with dropped jaws as they tried to process His eloquence and insight.

“Where did this man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers?” they asked. “Isn’t this the carpenter’s son?”

All the people sat amazed, but instead of reverencing Jesus as they should have, they took offense at Him. Latent jealousies likely rose to the surface creating a roadblock to belief. Jesus pointed out the commonality of this problem. “A prophet is not without honor except in his own town and in his own home.”

These types of unfortunate interactions have been happening for centuries, but none more devastating than for the town of Nazareth. The hometown people had the privilege of watching the Son of God grow up in a human body, but because of their lack of faith they missed out on all the benefits that could have been theirs.

Our generation hasn’t had the privilege of playing games with Jesus as a child, but many of us have grown up hearing about Him since our youth. We must be careful not to let our familiarity cause us to lose our sense of awe over His identity and the blessings that flow from Him and His life.

Family dynamics can be a strange thing, but make sure they don’t keep you from seeing the truth. Unlike the Nazarenes, worship Jesus every day.

Oh, and at your next family gathering, remember to congratulate Little Brother Jimmy for all his accomplishments. He likely has much to offer, and you can be a beneficiary.