Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown and among his own relatives and in his own household.” 

  Mark 6:4

To be sure, those of you who are doing kingdom work are not working in vain (1 Corinthians 15:58). You may have passed up a more lucrative career in order to follow the calling of God on your life and in an offended, ungrateful, and unbelieving world, Christian service can sometimes feel a little like fighting a blazing house fire with a 10 cent squirt gun. But be sure that our work in the Lord is not in vain and, in due time, if we don’t give up, we will see a harvest come from our labor (Galatians 6:9). And of course, our reward for serving Christ is an eternal reward and not limited to the here and now (Matthew 6:19-21). 

Well, in today’s passage, Jesus reminds us of this truth when He says, “A prophet is not without honor…” Anyone who is participating in kingdom work is not without honor. But there is a second half to that statement. “A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown and among his own relatives and in his own household.” There it is! The difficult part of serving Christ, no matter how rewarding, can be the rejection of others, especially those closest to us. Jesus says that a prophet (those using their spiritual gifts for the kingdom) is not without honor but we need not necessarily look for affirmation, encouragement, and support from those in our own families, especially if we live in a spiritually divided one. If you are blessed enough to have a supportive, Christian presence around you in your relatives and in your household then rejoice that you have avoided some of the discouraging moments that come from a lack of this kind of understanding and support. This is why we are told not to be bound together with unbelievers (2 Corinthians 6:14). Unbelieving family members and friends will not understand your commitment to Christ because they are not moving on the same life trajectory as you. So, Jesus reminds us that there is no lack of honor for those who serve Christ with their lives however the harsh reality is that you may have to do so apart from support, understanding, and encouragement from those in your family or household. 

The concept of being “ungrateful” is a lack of appreciation for someone and how he/she is living his/her life. Not that any of us serve God so that we can receive accolades from mankind, much the opposite. Christians live lives for an audience of One. It is the “well done good and faithful servant” that we desire to hear on that day. With the world behind us and the cross before us, we run our race with endurance, laying aside anything that would hinder us from doing so (Hebrews 12:1-2). Paul even made it clear that his conversion brought a change in his attitude regarding pleasing people over God:

For am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God? Or am I striving to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a bond-servant of Christ.

    Galatians 1:10

So many people today seem to be striving for the approval of mankind rather than the approval of God. But the reality is that, as Christians, our focus is now in living a life that is worthy of the calling of Christ and a life that strives to please God in all respects (Colossians 1:10). This is the essence of salvation and spiritual transformation (Ephesians 4:22-24). And nothing short of that is satisfying for the born again believer in Jesus. We now walk everyday in fellowship with God, making our requests, seeing God’s hand at work, and rejoicing all the more that we belong to Him (Matthew 7:7-8, Mark 11:24, John 16:23-24). But Jesus reminds us that those in our hometown, those in our family, and those in our household may not join us in this superior, uncommon, and victorious life. Consider the following words of Christ:

“Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I came to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; and a man’s enemies will be the members of his household.”

        Matthew 10:34-36

The unpopular stuff that often gets overlooked in today’s church yet needs to preached, and on a regular basis at that, is found in these words of Christ. But I thought Jesus was the “Prince of Peace?” What does He mean, “Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.” Yes, Jesus came to bring about a way for you and I to have peace with God however, our affiliation with Christ will now bring about a division between ourselves, as believers, and the rest of the unbelieving world…and the division is real! The chasm is wide between heaven and hell and those two eternal destinations are being demonstrated in the lives of two distinct groups of people here on earth (John 3:18, 2 Corinthians 6:14-17). That is why Jesus talks of such division, prompted by offensive, ungrateful, and unbelieving attitudes flowing from the hearts of those outside of Christ. Family member against family member simply because one has been saved and now belongs to Christ while the other has yet to make that decision. “And a man’s enemies will be the members of his household.” Christ is foreshadowing what will be the spiritual reality for all of us who belong to Christ…rejection from unbelievers. 

Have you ever lost friends because you refuse to participate in the things that they do? The reality is that you might have even previously joined in with them in lifestyles marked by sin and depravity but now you have transformed and have been given a new heart, mind, and attitude toward living. No longer is chasing after the temporal things appealing to you rather you now long to be with Christ and seek to please Him in all that you do. That is the power of Christ in you! Christians are not perfect but have been given the power of the Holy Spirit, who comes to live within our hearts, enabling us to live abundant, uncommon live in Jesus (Galatians 5:16-18). While others around you might be content to walk in darkness, you are now walking in the Light (John 3:19-21). This is what creates the division. It is a spiritual division and it is real! Consider Peter’s words regarding this spiritual reality:

For the time already past is sufficient for you to have carried out the desire of the Gentiles, having pursued a course of sensuality, lusts, drunkenness, carousing, drinking parties and abominable idolatries. In all this, they are surprised that you do not run with them into the same excesses of dissipation, and they malign (insult)…

                1 Peter 4:3-4

There isn’t a man, woman, or child that cannot come to the cross of Jesus. Everything that we have in Jesus can be theirs as well. This should be good reason to love them, and, in kindness and respect, proclaim to them the truth of the gospel. Some people have yet to make that decision but may be very receptive to hearing the truth of God’s Word…something that every Christian should be about (Romans 10:14-15).  

So keep your chin up! Our rejection is limited only to those outside of Christ. Our eternal acceptance is with Him who sits at the right hand of God (Hebrews 4:14-16). Rejection by people for a short time in order to gain acceptance by God for eternity…I think the choice is clear!