Family, what are you going to do? -- John 7:1-10
Family, what are you going to do? -- John 7:1-10
By Pastor Lee Hemen
February 22, 2015
A comedian once quipped, "The problem with relatives is that they tend to be family." I am not sure exactly what he meant by that, but I am sure there are some folks in our families we would rather not relate to. Families can be close or they can be dysfunctional, sadly, far too many in our day and age are the latter. We know that Jesus had younger brothers; James, Joseph, Jude and Simon to name four (Mark 6:3), and some sisters as well. We also know that Mary was his mother was still alive and yet Joseph, his adoptive father, was probably dead by the time he began his ministry. And, we also discover that his family did not fully understand Jesus' calling nor who he was (Mark 3:21, 31) and tried to dissuade him from following the path God had set for him.
I remember well when I decided to follow God's calling in my life, how my own family reacted. It wasn't all rose blossoms and birds singing. In fact, they kind of thought I was weird in doing so because at the time, none of them understood what it meant. Here in John's gospel we discover Jesus' family, namely some of his brothers, attempting to get Jesus to do what they desired instead of following what God desired. Isn't that the way sometimes families can be? Family, what are you going to do? let's discover what this meant for Jesus and what we can learn from it this morning…
READ: John 7:1-10
A builder in California has come up with an innovative idea to sell his houses. He thinks that a good way to make a house more appealing is to have a family there when showing the house. So he hires actors to play happy families in his company’s model homes. Would-be buyers can ask them questions about the house. Each fake family cooks, watches television, and plays games while house-hunters wander through. Have you ever wanted to hire a fake family? Here in John's gospel we discover that in the case of Jesus' family…
I. Faith is not necessarily found in the nearness to one's family! (Vv. 1-5)
After this, Jesus went around in Galilee, purposely staying away from Judea because the Jews there were waiting to take his life. But when the Jewish Feast of Tabernacles was near, Jesus' brothers said to him, "You ought to leave here and go to Judea, so that your disciples may see the miracles you do. No one who wants to become a public figure acts in secret. Since you are doing these things, show yourself to the world." For even his own brothers did not believe in him.
1. This short section is kind of a pause between another confrontation with Jesus and the religious authorities of his day. And in the midst of the mix we find his own family getting into the act of trying to discourage him from doing what God desired him to do. After Jesus faced off with those who followed him around the Sea of Galilee for food, he now confronts his own brothers. We learn that " Jesus went around in Galilee, purposely staying away from Judea because the Jews there were waiting to take his life." Jesus was not stupid and his time had not yet come for him to begin the confrontation that would ultimately lead to his sacrificial death and resurrection. And, in fact, "when the Jewish Feast of Tabernacles was near, Jesus' brothers said to him, 'You ought to leave here and go to Judea, so that your disciples may see the miracles you do. No one who wants to become a public figure acts in secret. Since you are doing these things, show yourself to the world.'" The Bible Knowledge Commentary relates that "The Feast of Tabernacles was one of the three great Jewish feasts… This feast, also called the Feast of Ingathering, was a time of thanksgiving for harvest. It was a happy time; devout Jews lived outdoors in booths made of tree branches for seven days as a reminder of God’s provision in the desert during their forefather’s wanderings. The feast also signified that God dwells with His people." So, it would not be unusual for Jesus' family to encourage him to go, what greater place than Jerusalem and this feast to show himself to the world! Perhaps they had seen many of his disciples leave after his difficult teachings concerning himself. Perhaps they were trying to push Jesus into publicly proclaiming who he was. Whatever the case, it was not Jesus' desire at this time. And, we learn that "even his own brothers did not believe in him." There is the truth of the matter. We discover that faith is not necessarily found in the nearness to one's family!
EXAMPLE: Over the decades I have had many folks try to assume they are closer to God because of a family member who was a missionary, pastor, or deacon. Nothing could be further from the truth. Faith is not inherited. It is not a birthright. Being the son of a pastor, the grandson of a preacher or the nephew of a deacon does not guarantee one's salvation. What your granddaddy, great granddaddy or auntie did has no bearing on the outcome of one's life in Christ. Certainly their Godly influence could have had an effect, but spirituality and salvation are one's individual decision to make and live. Faith is not necessarily found in the nearness to one's family!
Have you ever had one of those spontaneous moments where one of you cries out, "Family hug!" then you all gather around each other and give one great big bear hug? Of course there is always one killjoy who does not want to be part of this embarrassing scene. That is when you have to insist they join in or else suffer the consequences. You might have to do it in public when they least expect it! Here in John's gospel Jesus teaches us that…
II. Faith demands we act in spite of our family! (Vv 6-10)
Therefore Jesus told them, "The right time for me has not yet come; for you any time is right. The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify that what it does is evil. You go to the Feast. I am not yet going up to this Feast, because for me the right time has not yet come." Having said this, he stayed in Galilee. However, after his brothers had left for the Feast, he went also, not publicly, but in secret.
1. Like many of us, Jesus' own family misunderstands him. And "Therefore Jesus told them, 'The right time for me has not yet come; for you any time is right.'" His timing was different from his own family's desire. They in fact could come and go as they pleased, his life was dictated by different motives than theirs. Jesus always pleased his heavenly father, so his life and what he did with it was directed by his father's will. It was not time for him to be sacrificed for the whole world. He tells them bluntly, "The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify that what it does is evil." Being part of a sinned stained world, his brothers and their actions would not be disdained or hated by it, but his actions that were directed by the father and therefore were holy, would be hated! The world has its religions, its programs, its plans, its values, but Christ witnessed that it is all evil. This is why much of what believers do in life is disdained by the world or in fact seen as stupid. It is contrary to how the rest of the world reacts and works. He then tells them, "You go to the Feast. I am not yet going up to this Feast, because for me the right time has not yet come." Here is a difficult thing for some because they wonder, "Was Jesus lying, since he eventually did go to the Feast?" The answer is "no". Jesus simply refused to be pushed into a hasty decision by his brothers to do that which might not be what God desired! In fact, the rendering here strongly suggests that after a time of reflection, of staying in Galilee, and "after his brothers had left for the Feast, he went also." However, notice Jesus went privately, in secret and not publicly as his brothers tried to push him to do. Remember, there were those who were now plotting to kill Jesus. However, Jesus never allowed himself to be pressured or pushed into doing someone else's will, he only did what his father in heaven told him to do. Faith demands we act in spite of our family!
EXAMPLE: Working on the playground I have come into contact with a lot of children who come from dysfunctional homes. Many spend their free time watching TV or playing video games. I am concerned that far too many families use these things as babysitting tools instead of including their children in family life. We want to be aware that some of the things we do to make our lives easier can actually deprive our kids. Children need to mix with older generations so they can hear the stories of aunts, uncles, grandparents, and parents. They need a regular meal time where they sit down and eat with one another. This helps them learn from those who have gone before them. Even single parents need to have a suppertime where they learn about their children's day. Can this be difficult and will our kids always want to share? The answer again is "no" but we can insist and begin to also introduce them to how to use their faith during these times. Faith demands we act in spite of our family!
Conclusion:
Faith is not necessarily found in the nearness to one's family! Faith demands we act in spite of our family!
—
This article is copyrighted © 2015 by Lee Hemen and is the sole property of Lee Hemen, and may not be used unless you quote the entire article and have my permission.
By Pastor Lee Hemen
February 22, 2015
A comedian once quipped, "The problem with relatives is that they tend to be family." I am not sure exactly what he meant by that, but I am sure there are some folks in our families we would rather not relate to. Families can be close or they can be dysfunctional, sadly, far too many in our day and age are the latter. We know that Jesus had younger brothers; James, Joseph, Jude and Simon to name four (Mark 6:3), and some sisters as well. We also know that Mary was his mother was still alive and yet Joseph, his adoptive father, was probably dead by the time he began his ministry. And, we also discover that his family did not fully understand Jesus' calling nor who he was (Mark 3:21, 31) and tried to dissuade him from following the path God had set for him.
I remember well when I decided to follow God's calling in my life, how my own family reacted. It wasn't all rose blossoms and birds singing. In fact, they kind of thought I was weird in doing so because at the time, none of them understood what it meant. Here in John's gospel we discover Jesus' family, namely some of his brothers, attempting to get Jesus to do what they desired instead of following what God desired. Isn't that the way sometimes families can be? Family, what are you going to do? let's discover what this meant for Jesus and what we can learn from it this morning…
READ: John 7:1-10
A builder in California has come up with an innovative idea to sell his houses. He thinks that a good way to make a house more appealing is to have a family there when showing the house. So he hires actors to play happy families in his company’s model homes. Would-be buyers can ask them questions about the house. Each fake family cooks, watches television, and plays games while house-hunters wander through. Have you ever wanted to hire a fake family? Here in John's gospel we discover that in the case of Jesus' family…
I. Faith is not necessarily found in the nearness to one's family! (Vv. 1-5)
After this, Jesus went around in Galilee, purposely staying away from Judea because the Jews there were waiting to take his life. But when the Jewish Feast of Tabernacles was near, Jesus' brothers said to him, "You ought to leave here and go to Judea, so that your disciples may see the miracles you do. No one who wants to become a public figure acts in secret. Since you are doing these things, show yourself to the world." For even his own brothers did not believe in him.
1. This short section is kind of a pause between another confrontation with Jesus and the religious authorities of his day. And in the midst of the mix we find his own family getting into the act of trying to discourage him from doing what God desired him to do. After Jesus faced off with those who followed him around the Sea of Galilee for food, he now confronts his own brothers. We learn that " Jesus went around in Galilee, purposely staying away from Judea because the Jews there were waiting to take his life." Jesus was not stupid and his time had not yet come for him to begin the confrontation that would ultimately lead to his sacrificial death and resurrection. And, in fact, "when the Jewish Feast of Tabernacles was near, Jesus' brothers said to him, 'You ought to leave here and go to Judea, so that your disciples may see the miracles you do. No one who wants to become a public figure acts in secret. Since you are doing these things, show yourself to the world.'" The Bible Knowledge Commentary relates that "The Feast of Tabernacles was one of the three great Jewish feasts… This feast, also called the Feast of Ingathering, was a time of thanksgiving for harvest. It was a happy time; devout Jews lived outdoors in booths made of tree branches for seven days as a reminder of God’s provision in the desert during their forefather’s wanderings. The feast also signified that God dwells with His people." So, it would not be unusual for Jesus' family to encourage him to go, what greater place than Jerusalem and this feast to show himself to the world! Perhaps they had seen many of his disciples leave after his difficult teachings concerning himself. Perhaps they were trying to push Jesus into publicly proclaiming who he was. Whatever the case, it was not Jesus' desire at this time. And, we learn that "even his own brothers did not believe in him." There is the truth of the matter. We discover that faith is not necessarily found in the nearness to one's family!
EXAMPLE: Over the decades I have had many folks try to assume they are closer to God because of a family member who was a missionary, pastor, or deacon. Nothing could be further from the truth. Faith is not inherited. It is not a birthright. Being the son of a pastor, the grandson of a preacher or the nephew of a deacon does not guarantee one's salvation. What your granddaddy, great granddaddy or auntie did has no bearing on the outcome of one's life in Christ. Certainly their Godly influence could have had an effect, but spirituality and salvation are one's individual decision to make and live. Faith is not necessarily found in the nearness to one's family!
Have you ever had one of those spontaneous moments where one of you cries out, "Family hug!" then you all gather around each other and give one great big bear hug? Of course there is always one killjoy who does not want to be part of this embarrassing scene. That is when you have to insist they join in or else suffer the consequences. You might have to do it in public when they least expect it! Here in John's gospel Jesus teaches us that…
II. Faith demands we act in spite of our family! (Vv 6-10)
Therefore Jesus told them, "The right time for me has not yet come; for you any time is right. The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify that what it does is evil. You go to the Feast. I am not yet going up to this Feast, because for me the right time has not yet come." Having said this, he stayed in Galilee. However, after his brothers had left for the Feast, he went also, not publicly, but in secret.
1. Like many of us, Jesus' own family misunderstands him. And "Therefore Jesus told them, 'The right time for me has not yet come; for you any time is right.'" His timing was different from his own family's desire. They in fact could come and go as they pleased, his life was dictated by different motives than theirs. Jesus always pleased his heavenly father, so his life and what he did with it was directed by his father's will. It was not time for him to be sacrificed for the whole world. He tells them bluntly, "The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify that what it does is evil." Being part of a sinned stained world, his brothers and their actions would not be disdained or hated by it, but his actions that were directed by the father and therefore were holy, would be hated! The world has its religions, its programs, its plans, its values, but Christ witnessed that it is all evil. This is why much of what believers do in life is disdained by the world or in fact seen as stupid. It is contrary to how the rest of the world reacts and works. He then tells them, "You go to the Feast. I am not yet going up to this Feast, because for me the right time has not yet come." Here is a difficult thing for some because they wonder, "Was Jesus lying, since he eventually did go to the Feast?" The answer is "no". Jesus simply refused to be pushed into a hasty decision by his brothers to do that which might not be what God desired! In fact, the rendering here strongly suggests that after a time of reflection, of staying in Galilee, and "after his brothers had left for the Feast, he went also." However, notice Jesus went privately, in secret and not publicly as his brothers tried to push him to do. Remember, there were those who were now plotting to kill Jesus. However, Jesus never allowed himself to be pressured or pushed into doing someone else's will, he only did what his father in heaven told him to do. Faith demands we act in spite of our family!
EXAMPLE: Working on the playground I have come into contact with a lot of children who come from dysfunctional homes. Many spend their free time watching TV or playing video games. I am concerned that far too many families use these things as babysitting tools instead of including their children in family life. We want to be aware that some of the things we do to make our lives easier can actually deprive our kids. Children need to mix with older generations so they can hear the stories of aunts, uncles, grandparents, and parents. They need a regular meal time where they sit down and eat with one another. This helps them learn from those who have gone before them. Even single parents need to have a suppertime where they learn about their children's day. Can this be difficult and will our kids always want to share? The answer again is "no" but we can insist and begin to also introduce them to how to use their faith during these times. Faith demands we act in spite of our family!
Conclusion:
Faith is not necessarily found in the nearness to one's family! Faith demands we act in spite of our family!
—
This article is copyrighted © 2015 by Lee Hemen and is the sole property of Lee Hemen, and may not be used unless you quote the entire article and have my permission.
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