John 7:4

Jesus’ brothers continue to needle him. “You can’t be a celebrity and remain secretive.  You do some amazing things! You should come out in the open and let the world see!”  John 7:4 EFP 

I don’t know about you, but I can almost see the sarcasm dripping from his brothers’ lips.  In an almost mocking tone they suggest he take his show on the road in order to gain some recognition and popularity, as if this is what Jesus was after. They obviously do not understand the mission for which he had come to the world to accomplish.  

I wonder when this attitude was born in their hearts.  They had undoubtedly heard the behind the scene stories of his birth. If they were older than Jesus, as many believe, they witnessed many of the developments that led to the betrothal and then the marriage of their father Joseph to the young Mary.  In spite of the godly couple, there must have been some adjustments and dynamics present in this blended home.  But when did that attitude become so caustic?  What caused it to become so pronounced?  Was it jealousy?  Envy?  Embarrassment?  Guilt?  I don’t really know, but I do recognize the condition that misinterprets what Jesus is all about.  If that perception is misplaced, then everything changes.  Jesus is not about getting attention, rather giving it to lost and lame lambs like me.

There is a reminder for me in this short passage. It is easy to respond to the siren song calling me to focus on me and what I can do. It’s a path that may some satisfaction attached to it, but it inevitably leads to a dead end. Life ought not to be primarily about me—I cannot lose sight of the model Jesus set in place for me to emulate. “The greatest among you will be the most committed servant,” he says in Matthew 20:26.