Influencers Weekly Devotional

Wisdom Found From Obscurity

By

Rocky Fleming

He went away from there and came to his hometown, and his disciples followed him. And on the Sabbath he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astonished, saying, "Where did this man get these things? What is the wisdom given to him? How are such mighty works done by his hands? Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us?" And they took offense at him. Mark 6:1-3

If you haven’t experienced some sort of prejudice against you, it might be hard to understand what I am presenting, for it is a painful process to go through and it is hard to explain the many implications that come from it. Prejudice in its simplest application means to pre-judge. So, it is not just about racial issues, even though this is what we take it to mean most of the time. To pre-judge someone is to determine ahead of time that you know enough facts about a person that you can judge his thoughts, motives, next moves, and whether he or she is worthy of your approval. I have seen firsthand what it means to be prejudiced against because of economic status, not running with the “in-crowd,” being a kid from the South, and yes, even being an athlete. Peers, teachers, and the highly educated did a lot of the pre-judging because of where I came from. The worst prejudice I experienced was in my own hometown, for I was a son of a laborer who did his best to take care of his family, and did a good job of it. I was born on what some would say was the wrong side of town. It didn’t matter that we moved, for the stigma still followed. When I began to break out because of athletics, the pre-judging continued, in that “jocks have no intelligence,” some would say. Out of college and with a degree in Physical Education, I was pre-judged that I could not work in the business sector because I was not prepared for it. Glad I didn’t take their limited insight. There are many other examples, and maybe you’ve had your own experiences with prejudice? If so, you will understand better what Jesus was dealing with in His hometown. They had Him figured out, in their own minds, that He knew nothing because He was a son of a carpenter and a carpenter Himself at one time. Sounds a lot like many of our own stories. They watched the kid grow up. They knew His family. They knew His circumstances, and they thought they knew the man. But, it is obvious that they did not. Why is this? Not much is known about Jesus before His public ministry, except His birth, and a brief episode when He let some people take a look at what was inside a 12 year old boy. Read it for yourself: “Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover. And when he was twelve years old, they went up according to custom. And when the feast was ended, as they were returning, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. ……. After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. And all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers.” Luke 2:41-47 Now when I read the two passages I’ve referenced, I come away with an answer about why the people of Jesus’ hometown didn’t understand who they were talking to. It wasn’t because He wasn’t bright and worth hearing, even as a child. It wasn’t because He was not willing to reveal His uniqueness, for He did so in Jerusalem when He was 12 years old. I think it was because the people in His hometown had stereotyped Him, and dismissed Him as insignificant. They had “pre-judged” Him to be crazy at best, and a deceiver at worst, because they thought one of their own kind could not have real wisdom, and certainly not be the long awaited Messiah, for He grew up around them and was nothing special. Man, did they miss out! But, will you and I miss out also if wisdom comes walking by us? There is nothing I can do about my history being a pre-judger or being pre-judged except learn from it. I also cannot change a person who is dead set in his ways in being prejudiced, except hopefully help him understand that most prejudice comes from the culture we were raised in. As a Christian, and a new man in Christ, I am not obligated to think or act as a child or be a victim of a past perspective, by continuing a line of thinking just because I was raised that way. I do not have to continue in my prejudice, and if I do, I could miss some of the greatest wisdom to ever cross my path. I want to instead look deeply into every man and find a wisdom that could be obscured by the body or circumstances the man lives in. If I am to be a learner in my walk with Christ, I must understand that the teachers He uses will likely be those people seasoned by life struggles, forged by persevering trials, and given experience because God was with them through them all. These people will not be easy to find. They will be humble and not self-centered. They will not promote themselves, and will likely discourage anyone else from doing so. Therefore, to find these people I must change the way I look at people in general. I cannot allow prejudice against anyone of any kind to enter my life, for more than hurting someone else it will hurt me. Men of God, let’s take our stand and show the world a better perspective; one that would not pre-judge a man, but instead would allow him to in some way teach us about Christ, and life itself. Remember Solomon’s wise words about seeking wisdom, if you need motivation: My son, if you receive my words and treasure up my commandments with you, making your ear attentive to wisdom and inclining your heart to understanding; yes, if you call out for insight and raise your voice for understanding, if you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasures, then you will understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God. For the LORD gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding; he stores up sound wisdom for the upright; he is a shield to those who walk in integrity, guarding the paths of justice and watching over the way of his saints. Proverbs 2: 1-8