The curse of familiarity

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Yesterday we had a lady from Open Doors preach at our Morning Service. It was really moving to hear about the wonderful work they do with and for the persecuted church all around the world. She quoted a Christian from the persecuted church in Central Asia that really stuck with me:

"Persecution teaches you to really know Jesus - not just know of Him."

This got me thinking, as quotes usually do. It seems that we, in the free west, have grown a little too familiar with Jesus. Yes, we live in a country where religious persecution (of all faiths) doesn't happen; at least not openly. We have freedom of speech. We've even used that freedom (wrongly) to suppress and subdue those who disagree with us; trying to legislate Christian morality, for example (which can be a whole other series of blogs altogether). And yet it is as if we're missing the core of our faith: Jesus Christ.

I am reminded of the events described in Mark 6. Jesus was going round doing amazing miracles and teaching with great authority and wisdom in the synagogues. When He got to His hometown, people just didn't believe in Him, regardless of the amazing miracles and awesome authority, mainly because they thought they knew Him.

"'Where did this man get these things?' they asked. 'What's this wisdom that has been given him? What are these remarkable miracles he is performing? Isn't this the carpenter? Isn't this Mary's son and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas and Simon? Aren't his sisters here with us?' And they took offence at Him." (Mark 6:2-3 - NIVUK)

Scary verses, really. These people knew of Jesus, but they didn't know Him. They even recognised His wisdom, His teaching and the 'remarkable miracles' He did, but dismissed it all because He was too familiar. They knew Him too well. They even 'took offence at Him.'

Here's how Jesus responds:

"Jesus said to them, 'A prophet is not without honour except in his own town, among his relatives and in his own home.' He could not do any miracles there, except lay his hands on a few people who were ill and heal them. He was amazed at their lack of faith." (Mark 6:4-6 - NIVUK)

I fear that we've become so familiar with Jesus making His home in our hearts, that we don't truly recognise Him anymore. We don't honour Him for Who He is, because we know Him too well. Or at least we think we do. And that leads to complacency. It leads to lack of faith when we pray. It leads to being satisfied with mediocre religion instead of living a life of Godly love. It leads to us not honouring Christ as King, but thinking of Him as merely the boy next door, mowing the neighbour's lawn.

"However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?" (Luke 18:8 -NIVUK)

Having nothing but Jesus to hold on to teaches us who He truly is. And I pray that you will not have to hit rock bottom to get to know Him as the Rock of Ages. May your love for Him deepen beyond the familiar and comfortable. May your faith in Him grow beyond your sight. And may you find Him when you seek Him with all your heart.

Selah.

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