Prejudice

 DEVOTION

THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO MATTHEW

PREJUDICE

Matt 13:53-58

53 When Jesus had finished these parables, he moved on from there. 54 Coming to his hometown, he began teaching the people in their synagogue, and they were amazed. "Where did this man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers?" they asked. 55 "Isn't this the carpenter's son? Isn't his mother's name Mary, and aren't his brothers James, Joseph, Simon and Judas? 56 Aren't all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all these things?" 57 And they took offense at him. But Jesus said to them, "Only in his hometown and in his own house is a prophet without honor."  58 And he did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith.

NIV

There is a lot said here through the witness of Matthew regarding the family of Jesus. Of course, there are doctrinal issues with Joseph and Mary having other children, those who would be the brothers and sisters of Jesus according to the flesh. Both Papists and Protestants are determined to maintain a doctrine that Mary remained a virgin her whole life. This would then mean that these individuals mentioned here were near relatives, like cousins of our Lord. The problem is which the Greek words translated and brother and sister, Adelfos and Adelfee. Although there are some different ways these words can be used, such as all believers are our brothers and sisters in the Lord. However, contextually, these words are used to mean the children of the same parents, and the first and therefore the foremost meaning is just that, a brother or sister born of the same parents. Because the people in Nazareth took offense at Jesus and included his whole family as one of simple means, just a carpenter’s son. Although that type of trade was a needed one and that meant more than a worker of wood but could have included working with metal, and stone. What we learn here is all about the prejudice that existed then and has continued through all generations to the present time. This is not about any racial or ethnic issues for all the people of Nazareth, including Jesus and his family were Jews, or of one race and one ethnicity. This is either about a social, educational, or economic prejudice regarding the whole family of Jesus. How could a person of such background be so wise and have miraculous powers? This type of prejudice still exists in the church. We have been warned in the letter James penned about treating those with fine clothes differently than those who do not have fine clothes by giving one an honored seat while having the others sit on the floor. He made the point that we should not show favoritism, which has a prejudicial nature. Yet, it exists in one sense that those who are the biggest financial supporters appear to have the greatest influence in the church. There can also be prejudice regarding the educational levels within the church. We have to be careful not to either exalt those who have degrees or look with disdain at those who have none. We are all children of the Lord, having all been adopted into the family of God as brothers and sisters, having the same parent, because we have been born from above. We honor one another, we love one another as one family. We applaud each other, encourage one another, love one another as we love God and ourselves. There is no room for envy, strife, jealousy, pride, thinking more highly of ourselves than we should. There is no room for any prejudicial attitude within the body of Christ. Let's simply see each other as our dearly loved family, honoring and cherishing each other.