Having your family’s approval is desirable but not necessary for happiness and not always possible. Jesus did not let the difficult dynamic of his family overshadow his call from God.
What happened to Jesus’ family? Mine with me a golden nugget hidden in a vein of the book of Acts. Acts chapter one: “Then [the disciples] went back to Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives. They all continued praying together with some women, including Mary the mother of Jesus, and Jesus’ brothers” (Acts 1:12, 14 NCV). What a change! The ones who had mocked him now worship him. The ones who had pitied him now pray to him.
What if Jesus had disowned them? Or worse still, what if he’d suffocated his family with his demand for change? He didn’t. He instead gave them space, time, and grace. So don’t lose heart – God still changes families.
