Jesus's Family Thought He'd Gone Off the Deep End

From the book: 101 Amazing Truths About Jesus You Probably Didn't Know, Howard Books, 2007. 

Mary was a Jewish mother. And what is a Jewish mother most proud of? Her firstborn son, of course. He's the one she compares everyone in the family to. "Now, Joseph, you need to follow Jesus's example. Why just the other day . . ." "If you kids were like Jesus, you would never say such things!" And so on.

Jesus was a dream kid, too. He always did everything right. He was sinless, and he never sinned against anyone in his family. So they surely held him in the highest esteem, correct?

Well, not exactly. Undoubtedly, the usual jealousies occurred in that family. "Oh, Jesus is just perfect! That's what you think, Mom, isn't it?" And, "If I hear of one more good deed Jesus did, I'm going to spit nails!"

Yes, and then there's the utter uniqueness of Jesus. Surely Mary and Joseph must have told the rest of the family about the remarkable way in which Jesus came to be born. Even if they didn't give too many details, perhaps they scolded the kids about calling Jesus names or complaining about him with words like, "If you only knew who he is, you wouldn't say such things." "Well, who is he?" "It's too complicated-I'll explain it when you're older." I can imagine conversations like that happening all the time.

Finally, though, Jesus went off to do his own ministry. He healed the sick. He raised the dead. He spoke in a way no one had ever heard before. Crowds followed him. People called him the "son of David," and "the Messiah," and, "the Son of the living God."

Unfortunately, those family members knew Jesus long before he ever became famous. They'd been around him from day one. And even if he was sinless and unique, he still didn't seem like rabbi material. He had hardly any education. What did he think he was doing, going around rabble-rousing and performing these amazing feats and miracles no one could seem to explain?

Maybe that's where it started. After calling and commissioning his twelve disciples, Jesus came down from a mountain and entered into a house with his disciples. But lo and behold, such a crowd formed that Jesus and his disciples were not even able to eat (Mark 3:20). "When his family heard about this, they went to take charge of him, for they said, 'He is out of his mind'" (Mark 3:21).

Or in less kind terms, "He's a lunatic. Someone get him off the street and into a twelve-step program!" 

And why did they think this? Because crowds followed him, he healed them all, and he preached? But who were in those crowds? The wannabes, the disciples, the complainers, the critics, the skeptics, the homeless, the needy, the weirdoes. Jesus's own family thought he had to be crazy to hang out with these nuts. Why didn't Jesus conduct a respectable ministry, go to school, become a rabbi, and teach in a synagogue?

No, he walked out there, waded into the throng of needy people, and began fixing everyone and everything in sight. This couldn't be God's work; it had to be some kind of trick Jesus had learned on the road, or maybe even-perish the thought-what the Pharisees themselves said: "He is possessed by Beelzebub! By the prince of demons he is driving out demons" (Mark 3:22).

Well, what do you do when your family or other loved ones misunderstand, misjudge, and sell you short?

You do what Jesus did: you live with it. You give them their say, and then you go and do what God has called you to. That's how Jesus handled it.

Sometime later Jesus' family came around. James (author of the book of James) and Jude (author of the book of Jude) were both brothers of Jesus, born to Mary and Joseph. Mary loyally stuck with Jesus to the end, even praying at the foot of his cross as he died his agonizing death. After the initial shock and coming to grips with the reality of Jesus's incredible ministry, perhaps his family went back home and reconsidered. Eventually they realized this couldn't be the work of a lunatic, or even a liar. He had to be the real thing: Lord. 

A Tip on Ten-Second Prayer

(Based on my new book, The Ten-Second Prayer Principle: Praying Powerfully As You Go - Howard Books, 2007).

This past week, my wife and I sponsored our Heart of America Christian Writer's Network conference in Kansas City. This is often very costly, bringing in editors and agents from all over the U.S., renting facilities, providing meals, and so on. Last year when we put on the conference, we barely broke even. And even though we're not in it for the money, it is nice to show a profit since we are a normal for-profit company. 

Two weeks before the deadline on November 1, 2007 for registrants to get in their materials and checks, we had forty people signed up. I worried a lot and told a friend, "We're going to get killed on this one." I figured we needed at least 70 paying registrants just to break even. As I fretted and worried, it seemed God said to me, "Why don't you just pray and leave it in my hands?" I knew this was probably right on, but I also - through many tough experiences - know that God doesn't always do as we ask. Needless to say, I prayed one of my short, ten-second prayers: "Help, God!" 

The next week, a flood of conferees sent in their registrations by mail and phone. We ended up with more than 90 conferees. The conference went great and I just came away amazed. Once again, God came through.  He always does. 

Remember: you don't have to pray for hours to get God's attention. Like Peter's prayer when he ventured out of the boat in the middle of the storm as Jesus walked on water only yards away, he lost his faith and promptly began to sink. He cried out the shortest prayer in the Bible, and one we all pray sooner or later: "Save me, Lord." Jesus reached down, pulled him up, and said, "Why did you doubt?" 

God will answer a ten-second prayer as much as any other. So when you need to pray and don't have the time to get alone somewhere, on your knees, and with the Bible open before you, just shoot your prayer aloft. God will hear and answer. Usually, I find, you'll also be amazed. 

Applying Prayer to Today’s Events:

One of the things most on my heart these days is praying about events in the U.S. and world that have come to my attention.  The recent flap about he governor of Georgia praying for rain strikes me as a perfect example. Georgia has experienced a six-year drought that has turned it into a disaster area. When the gov finally told his fellow Georgians about the things he enacted to help the state, he also mentioned that he began to pray for rain and he advised them to do so, too. Immediately, a firestorm of criticism followed. How dare an elected governor say such a thing to the public, mixing politics with religion?

Well, I have read that Gen. Washington prayed at Valley Forge, Lincoln often prayed about the raging Civil War, and George W. Bush has let it all hang out about his spiritual life, so much so that it won him vilification on a massive scale by his enemies. Today, he is one of the most hated presidents in U.S. history.

And yet . . . Iraq appears to be turning around. Our economy continues unabated at expansion on a scale not seen for decades. He got legislation passed about “the fence” on the Rio Grande. And numerous other good things have happened. 

Presumably because he and others prayed.

But to some, this is the height of lunacy. 

Now, people like me, having heard about the Georgia situation for the first time, took a few seconds to pray for rain. And lo and behold, rain happened. Boy, that was a fast answer.

Nonetheless, the news media now is saying it may be too late. Of course, they have to say that. It was all coincidence. There is no God out there who hears ridiculous prayers from governors, presidents, and regular people like you and me. He was too late. It’s all proof that God is not only dumb, but a procrastinator, too. 

Still, it rained. After a ringing cry for prayer went out from the gov.

I’m looking forward to how the God-whackers explain this one. Especially if there’s more rain. Especially if other leaders step forward and tell us they’re praying about other things – illegal immigration, the fuel problems, Iraq, healthcare . . . and lo and behold, those things get done. 

Naturally, there will always be reasons the answers came too late, or didn’t do enough, or are just plain old stupid. Moses parting the Red Sea is a myth, after all. Elijah bringing down the lightning at Mt. Carmel is simply some “old story.” And Jesus doing miracle after miracle of every kind, from healing and casting out demons to walking on water, stilling the storm, and feeding five thousand people with a little boy’s lunch – they were all “tricks” foisted on a gullible public. 

Just the same, it rained. That’s proof enough for me. 

Check Out:

Marklittleton.com

Winsunliterary.com(my literary agency)

HeartofAmericaChristianWriters.com(our writers' network)

Another blog: Politiciansunclothed.townhall.com

God bless.

Mark Littleton

mlittleton@earthlink.net