Mark 6

We have the privilege of being able to look back on Jesus' life and realize that he never sinned. While he was growing up under the care of his parents, living life with his siblings and growing up around town, they did not have our vantage point. Mary and Joseph would have known the events around Jesus' birth were miraculous, yet Jesus was still born and grew up the same way his siblings did, the same way the other kids in town did. Jesus learned the skill of carpentry from Joseph. I'm sure he was kind, never cheated anyone, worked hard, but he was just an ordinary person as far as they could see.

Once Jesus began his ministry and went into his home town the people could not get over the fact that he had grown up there, they had no faith in the miracles he was able to perform through the power of the Holy Spirit. 

This portion of scripture challenges me to allow people I've grown up with, people I know and even people I've taught to change (Of course I know Jesus did not change, he did not need to change). It's easy for us to judge someone based on how they used to be and not on who they are now or possibly who they are becoming. I pray that our lives are ones that encourage and speak life into people's lives instead of dwelling on the past. Life is meant to be lived forward.

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