Too Familiar

November 4, 2008

By Greg Ebie

Familiarity breeds contempt, or so the saying goes. Such was the case for Jesus in His hometown.

“Jesus left there and went to his hometown, accompanied by his disciples. When the Sabbath came, he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were amazed. ‘Where did this man get these things?’ they asked. ‘What’s this wisdom that has been given him, that he even does miracles! Isn’t this the carpenter? Isn’t this Mary’s son and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas and Simon? Aren’t his sisters here with us?’ And they took offense at him” (Mark 6:1-3, NIV).

The hometown folks responded to Jesus both with amazement and incredulity at the same time. While they were awestruck by Jesus’ teaching and the miracles He performed, they also carried the memories of Jesus with His mother and siblings living everyday life. “Jesus was the carpenter; what right does He have to say such things?” Their familiarity became a roadblock to their faith.

I wonder if familiarity breeds anything else too. What I mean is, has the life story of Jesus and our Christian faith become too familiar or too common for many of us within the Church? None of us who believe in Jesus would ever disdain or look with condescension upon our Lord (that’s what “took offense” means in this context). But is it possible that we “take offense” and look that way at other believers within the body of Christ?

Think about it. What is your attitude toward those who may not be as spiritually “mature” as you are and struggle with sin? Or how about those who take a different doctrinal stand? In other words, could your familiarity with your corner of the body of Christ also breed self-absorbed pride? Perhaps pride is too strong, so could it be that familiarity breeds a spiritual comfort zone that makes us lazy in our relationships with other believers and how we live out God’s Word?

When was the last time we let God really speak to us through His Word, open our eyes in a new way to the truth about ourselves, and force us out of our religious boxes? Could our familiarity keep us from hearing the “still small voice” of the Spirit?

What do you think?

— D. Greg Ebie is senior pastor of Praise Assembly of God in Garrettsville, Ohio, and an author of Daily Bread devotionals.