DO IT ANYWAY

As you may know, I read or listen or read and listen through the Bible every year and have done that for about 20 years or so.  It's an amazing thing to do.  Yesterday this was part of my reading:

Mark 6:1-6 - Jesus went out from there and *came into ^[a]His hometown; and His disciples *followed Him. ² When the Sabbath came, He began to teach in the synagogue; and the many listeners were astonished, saying, “Where did this man get these things, and what is this wisdom given to Him, and such ^[b]miracles as these performed by His hands? ³ Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, and brother of ^[c]James and Joses and Judas and Simon? Are not His sisters here with us?” And they took offense at Him. ⁴ Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in ^[d]his hometown and among his own relatives and in his own household.” ⁵ And He could do no ^[e]miracle there except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them. ⁶ And He wondered at their unbelief.

And He was going around the villages teaching.

This is a simple message, but aren't those some of the ones that impact us the most?  And if you've ever done anything, especially for the Lord, that was...shall we say "different" than is expected from those around you...this passage will speak to you immediately.  Your town, your friends, your family, and your household suddenly wonder what in the world you're doing and, "Who do you think YOU are, you self-righteous, holier than thou so-and-so??????  I knew you when you were just a little pipsqueak who could barely add two and two.  I've known you all your life.  Do you think you can impress me now?"

Well, Jesus wasn't in the business of impressing people.  He made that abundantly clear all through the New Testament.  His life was dedicated to serving God and doing whatever it was He told Him to do, even to dying on a cross for my sorry self.  He would have done that even if I had been the only person on earth, and I really don't think that has ever sunk into my inward parts.  (He did it for you, too.  TRY and let that sink in.)

Yes, this is a simple message but profound.  He had to do most of all that he did outside his hometown and away from his own people, even his own immediate family for a time.  I think they finally got it, but it took them awhile.   I'm certainly not comparing myself to Jesus, but I'm not sure I could have done some of the things I've done either if I had stayed in my hometown.  They're good folks and it's a good place, but they know me.  They knew me most of my life until I left there in my mid-20s, still a sinner.  So when I got saved about the age of thirty and started living for Him, some of them probably wouldn't have taken me or what I was doing seriously, and that can detract from the goal of getting something done for the Kingdom.

Do you know what strikes me most about this passage, though?  The very last sentence:  "And He was going around the villages teaching."  He KNEW what He was supposed to be doing and it mattered not that no one else believed that He was supposed to be doing that.  He did it anyway...because He knew it was what God was calling Him to do.  He and God had that kind of close relationship.

And wouldn't you know it?  Here is how God works.  I have this little thing that I call a flippy chart thing because I'm not sure what it's called.  It's a wooden pedestal about 8" tall that has a bunch of cards with sayings and Bible verses on them.  You flip one over every day and read it and it starts your day off with something to think about.  I've had it for about 40 years.  My niece gave it to me when we were both young sprouts.  I'm just six years older than she is, so yes we were young together.  Some of the sayings are just stupid and I have crossed them out so that I'll know to flip to the next one and not camp out on the stupid ones, such as, "A coincidence is a small miracle where God chose to remain anonymous."  Sigh.

Well, guess what today's says.  "How men treat us will make little difference when we know we have God's approval."  Don't you just love how God operates sometimes?