Coming to his hometown, he began teaching the people in their synagogue, and they were amazed. “Where did this man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers?” they asked. (Matthew 13:54)
Familiarity can be a dangerous thing. Deeply embedded in people’s perception about you is a limitation set for your espected standard of life. Exceeding that standard causes a stir in the minds of those who know you.
When the members of Jesus’ hometown saw Him teaching and performing miracles, they started asking all sorts of questions.
“Isn’t this the carpenter’s son? Isn’t his mother’s name Mary, and aren’t his brothers James, Joseph, Simon and Judas?
Aren’t all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all these things?” (Matthew 13:55-56)
Some of these people had known Jesus from children way before He rose to “stardom”. They were now finding it difficult to update their perception about His identity and His capabilities. They could hardly see Him rising above the standard of a Carpenter’s son.
Everyone trying to rise up in life will have to face the mentally erected barriers of familiarity. Rising above the limitation of familiarity is therefore crucial for your personal advancement.
On the flip side, let’s all be wary of becoming a stumbling block on the paths of those close to us simply because we fail to update our mindsets about them.
Remain inspired!
