Scripture Daily

Context No. 3705 of 4322 · John

Context · Reflection

John 7:1-5: in context

1After these things, Jesus was walking in Galilee, for he wouldn’t walk in Judea, because the Jews sought to kill him. 2Now the feast of the Jews, the Feast of Booths, was at hand. 3His brothers therefore said to him, “Depart from here and go into Judea, that your disciples also may see your works which you do. 4For no one does anything in secret while he seeks to be known openly. If you do these things, reveal yourself to the world.” 5For even his brothers didn’t believe in him.

As the feast approaches, Jesus' own brothers urge him, half-mockingly, to go to Judea and make a public display of his works, for no one seeking recognition works in secret; show yourself to the world, they say. And John adds the poignant note: for even his brothers did not believe in him.

Those closest to Jesus, who had grown up with him, did not yet believe. There is something worth noticing here. First, even Jesus experienced the pain of not being believed by his own family; if he was misunderstood by those nearest to him, we need not be surprised when we are misunderstood by ours. And second, the brothers' advice reflected a worldly wisdom, seek fame, make a public splash, that was foreign to Jesus' way. He would reveal himself in God's time and God's manner, not on the world's terms of self-promotion. And later, some of these same brothers would come to believe, one of them, James, becoming a leader of the church. Unbelief, even in those close to us, is not always the end of the story.

When even those close to me misunderstand or do not believe, do I take comfort that Jesus knew this too, and do I follow his way rather than the world's push toward self-promotion?

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