By: Alexis Lively, Youth Ministry Major from Olton/
“And when Jesus had finished these parables, he went away from there, and coming to his hometown he taught them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished, and said, “Where did this man get this wisdom and these mighty works? Is not this the carpenter’s son? Is not his mother called Mary? And are not his brothers James and Joseph and Simon and Judas? And are not all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all these things?” And they took offense at him. But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown and in his own household.” And he did not do many mighty works there, because of their unbelief.”
Matthew 13:53-58 ESV
At this time in the text, Jesus was very well known, He had already been healing people, doing miracles, He has been during ministry for about a year. So, Jesus chooses to come back to His hometown. Yet as Jesus was coming back to His hometown; He wasn’t welcomed back with the same love many of us would expect when we go home. Instead, Jesus was rejected; and was only known for what He was; for whose son He was or whose brother He was.
People were oblivious to the obvious; they missed out on the fact that Jesus was right in front of them. They missed out on Jesus; they missed out on who/ what was right in front of them.
Yet we can become like that in our own lives. As the holiday’s roll around, it can get so easy to get caught up in what we don’t have, and the thought of gratitude doesn’t even cross our mind. Yet, the reality is, we don’t want to miss what is right in front of us. We don’t want to miss what God has graciously given us. We must choose to have gratitude because gratitude changes attitude. As we go into Thanksgiving and Christmas, I want to remind you allow that phrase to sit on the forefront of your mind.
“Gratitude changes your attitude.” Allow this to be a daily thought and not just a holiday thought. What are the things God has put in front of you that you are missing? What are those things that you are choosing not to be grateful for? Instead of walking into the holidays thinking, “I wish I had this…”; start thinking “Jesus, thank you for what I have.”
See how that thinking can start to change your attitude.