Day 46 – Going Home

JOHN CHAPTER 7

John 7:1-13

Jesus had not done much to “win friends and influence people” among the Jewish leaders. After cleansing the Temple and disrupting the profitable fleecing of the Passover crowd, He proceeded to violate the Sabbath by healing a man at the pool of Bethesda. Most recently he shocked the Jews with his blasphemous comments suggesting they drink His blood and eat His flesh. After these highly visible confrontations, Jesus returned to Galilee away from the public spotlight. He left the public arena to go home.

"Going home" is synonymous with security and comfort. Whether myth or fact, our hearts want "home" to be a place of unconditional acceptance, a haven from critics and the dangers of the outside world. The difference between the reality of home and the dream of it varies for each of us based on our unique circumstances and family history. The statement, "You can never go home" is made true when the memory of home becomes greater than the reality of it. It is also true because our hearts long for a home we have never seen; a place that does not exist in any earthly dwelling. We struggle to understand the disappointment we experience with our earthly home because we have never known our true one.

Jesus, having come from God, knew the difference. I doubt that knowledge lessened the disappointment when His brothers sarcastically suggested He go back to Judea to show off His "works." It was time for another Jewish festival and Jesus' brothers mockingly offered Him the chance to go to the big city to make a name for Himself. No doubt jealous over Jesus' notoriety; His brothers seem to have turned their backs on him.

Sibling rivalries are real, but just imagine if your big brother were Jesus Christ. Who can live up to that? Mothers aren't supposed to have favorites, but I suspect in this house Mary had little choice. Living in the shadow of a successful older sibling can be difficult for anyone. We catch a glimpse here of the struggles and difficulties Jesus faced in His own home. Because He was fully human, Jesus' disappointment with his "home" was as real as any we face. But because Jesus understood the true nature of His eternal home, He did not allow His disappointment to keep Him from accomplishing His father's will. Jesus' internal clock continued to direct Him through His life and ministry, no matter what his family, friends, and enemies say. Jesus responded to His brothers with the same words He had spoken to His mother at the wedding feast, "My time is not yet here."

Jesus' tender, yet direct response to his family serves as a reminder for us. No matter how good our homes and families are, they are but an echo of what awaits us when we reach our ultimate home. Don't be discouraged when home no longer feels like home. It was only intended to make you long for what is to come.

Jesus, Our Brother,

Thank You for patiently enduring my failure to understand Your mission and purposes. Thank You that despite the criticism of enemies, friends and even family, You set Your face to God's purpose. Thank You for enduring the rejection of Your family so that I might be welcomed into God's family.

Amen