Making waves at a family gathering

 

I have become a stranger to my brothers, and an alien to my mother's children.  --Psalm 69:8

So how was your holiday?  Was it awkward being in close proximity to family members that you only see once a year?  I hope not, but many times family dynamics can be trying.  You may have had to field such conversation starters as these:

• Gosh, I wish I could be so relaxed about housework.
• You know, it wouldn't take much decorating to get your house looking lovely.
• I wish I had the confidence you do to dress like that.
• That's not the ugliest shirt I've seen you wear.
• You're really fast for your weight.
• You look really pretty in the picture; it doesn't look like you at all.
• It's tough to underestimate you.

Would you believe that Jesus had a similar experience while He was here on earth?  In the 7th chapter of John, we are introduced to Jesus's family during a major Jewish holiday.  In fact, the whole Gospel of John seems to jump from one Jewish holiday to another.  The Cambridge Bible For Schools And Colleges commentary says this:

[The Feast of] Tabernacles was the most joyous of the Jewish festivals. It had two aspects; (1) a commemoration of their dwelling in tents in the wilderness, (2) a harvest-home. It was therefore a thanksgiving (1) for a permanent abode, (2) for the crops of the year.  It began on the 15th of the 7th month, Tisri (about our September), and lasted seven days, during which all who were not exempted through illness or weakness were obliged to live in booths, which involved much both of the discomfort and also of the merriment of a picnic.

This holiday, then, could be viewed as the  Jewish equivalent to the American Thanksgiving holiday.  Just like our sometimes disastrous family celebrations, Jesus had an awkward conversation with his family members.

After these things Jesus walked in Galilee; for He did not want to walk in Judea, because the Jews sought to kill Him.  Now the Jews' Feast of Tabernacles was at hand.  His brothers therefore said to Him, "Depart from here and go into Judea, that Your disciples also may see the works that You are doing.  For no one does anything in secret while he himself seeks to be known openly.  If You do these things, show Yourself to the world."  For even His brothers did not believe in Him.  --John 7:1-5

Jesus was keeping a low profile.  The Jewish leaders had the equivalent of a warrant out for His arrest.  As we saw in chapter six, many of those who had been called His disciples turned away from Him.  His brothers here make a slight jab, saying, in essence, "Where are your disciples, Man?  I don't see any of them here in Galilee.  Maybe you ought to go to Jerusalem.  Take your show on the road--go to where the people are."  David Guzik's Study Guide for John 7 says this:

“It was widely believed that when the Messiah came he would make himself publicly known in some spectacular way.” (Bruce) The Living Bible gives a good sense of this: You can’t be famous when you hide like this! If you’re so great, prove it to the world! “His brethren were thinking that His success depended on the world’s attitude to Him: in other words, they believed in the world rather than in Him.” (Trench)

 It would be similar to you going to the home of a family member and sitting down at the piano to play or sing, and some wise-cracking sibling or in-law rolling their eyes and saying, "You should go on American Idol," or "Look out, Las Vegas, here you come."  The Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary puts it this way (please forgive the olde English vocabulary and writing style):

Indeed here their language is more that of strong prejudice and suspicion (such as near relatives, even the best, too frequently show in such cases), than from unbelief. There was also, probably, a tincture of vanity in it. "Thou hast many disciples in Judea; here in Galilee they are fast dropping off; it is not like one who advances the claims Thou dost to linger so long here, away from the city of our solemnities, where surely 'the kingdom of our father David' is to be set up: 'seeking,' as Thou dost, 'to be known openly,' those miracles of Thine ought not to be confined to this distant corner, but submitted at headquarters to the inspection of 'the world.'"

Thankfully, these same brothers would later become His disciples after the Resurrection (see Acts 1:14).  But for now, they gave Him these back-handed compliments suggesting that He might be more welcome somewhere else, somewhere far away from them.

Jesus then gives His answer to them, perhaps overlooking their rudeness:

Then Jesus said to them, "My time has not yet come, but your time is always ready.  The world cannot hate you, but it hates Me because I testify of it that its works are evil.  You go up to the feast.  I am not yet going up to this feast, for My time has not yet fully come." When He had said these things to them, He remained in Galilee.  --John 7:6-9

There are two Greek words translated "time."  One of those words is chronos, from which we get the English word "chronological".  It means sequential, quantitative time measured in minutes, hours, days, and years.  That's not the word Jesus used here.  “In this passage the word is kairos, which characteristically means an opportunity; that is, the best time to do something, the moment when circumstances are most suitable. (Barclay)"  As Jesus obeyed His Father, He lived out the truth that God’s timing is an important expression of His will. Something may be in God’s will but not yet in His timing.

When God's timing was right, Jesus did go to the feast, but quietly so as to not draw attention to Himself.

But when His brothers had gone up, then He also went up to the feast, not openly, but as it were in secret.  Then the Jews sought Him at the feast, and said, "Where is He?"  And there was much complaining among the people concerning Him.  Some said, "He is good"; others said, "No, on the contrary, He deceives the people."  However, no one spoke openly of Him for fear of the Jews.  --John 7:10-13

The brothers of Jesus probably had all kinds of people recognizing them and coming up to them saying, "Hey, where's Jesus?  Why isn't He with you?"  They probably heard the people arguing in hushed tones about Jesus--was He good? or was He a deceiver?  Some of them may have even stood up for their brother; it's one thing for family members to give each other grief--it's quite another for someone outside the family to throw shade.

Why were they complaining?  "They complained because they wanted Jesus to fulfill their wishes for the Messiah, and to fulfill them now — when they wanted them. (Guzik)"  They all had different opinions of Him.  Then, as now, Jesus divides people.  It's difficult for anyone who hears Jesus's words or sees what He does to remain neutral.  For example, Jesus did come to the feast, even after He had told His brothers that He would not come.  Does this make Jesus a liar?  No, because He only said that He would not come with the rest of the family, that He would not come openly.  “The secret departure for Jerusalem was not an act of deception. It was an attempt to avoid unwelcome publicity. Jesus’ enemies were watching for him, obviously for the purpose of arresting him.” (Tenney)

They say that to avoid conflict at these family holiday gatherings, you should avoid talking about politics or religion.  This is hard to do, as we saw in our passage today.  Jesus's brothers talked about both politics and religion, potentially causing conflict.  Jesus was not drawn into that conflict, but met conflict head-on when He went to Jerusalem by Himself.  Next time we will see that He even spoke publicly in the Temple when we continue our study of John 7.

Sometimes it is better to speak the truth in love.  This does not mean getting drawn in to whatever controversy the others at the dinner table are dishing out.  It does mean sharing what Jesus means to you.  Who knows?  This may be the last time your brother or sister may hear the gospel.  Wouldn't it be better to spend eternity in heaven with your family than to keep silent because you didn't want to make waves at the family dinner?