Today, I want to share a message with a somewhat unusual title: "Do Not Become a Relative of Jesus." But as you listen to today's message, you will come to understand why I chose this title. Not long ago, I heard a story about a church member that left a deep impression on me. That person said, "The happiest thing in my life is believing in Jesus." I thought to myself that it would be wonderful if we could all say the same. Even if we cannot say that now, I hope we can reach that point in the future. One way to achieve this might be to remove unnecessary things from our hearts.

Someone once asked a famous sculptor, "How can you create such a beautiful sculpture from a stone?" The sculptor replied, "I don't just see a stone; I see the beautiful work of art within it. My job is simply to carve away and remove the unnecessary parts." Faith is the same. Everyone has a heart capable of faith. But unnecessary things can hinder and obstruct that faith from growing. One such obstacle is our own familiar way of thinking.

1. Close relationships can become obstacles

For Koreans, family relationships are very important. In the past, this was even more significant because people lived within an extended family system. Yet, even now, the terms for relatives can be confusing. There is a highly detailed system of titles: terms for the husband's family, the wife's family, and different names depending on gender, such as uncle (on the father's side), uncle (on the mother's side), brother-in-law (for a husband's older brother), brother-in-law (for a husband's younger brother), aunt (paternal), aunt (maternal), uncle (husband of paternal aunt), and uncle (husband of maternal aunt). There are so many. I heard that a foreigner once went to a restaurant and, hearing everyone call the server "Aunt (imo)," asked, "Are all Koreans relatives?"

There is a saying that a close neighbor is better than a distant relative. Along with relatives, people from one's hometown also share deep bonds. Neighbors who grew up together in the same place from childhood and shared life have a profound emotional connection. However, while these close relationships bring a sense of familiarity, they can also become awkward due to exposure to one's private life and interference. For example, when a child who grew up in a town later returns as the senior pastor of the church attended by the people from his hometown who watched him throughout his childhood, the relationship can feel awkward. The passage for today is similar. When Jesus went to his hometown, he was not welcomed but rather rejected by the people there. The reason was that they knew him as the carpenter's son and, thinking they knew him well, they looked down on him. They did not want to acknowledge the wisdom and power he displayed before them, for he was, in their eyes, just a carpenter, merely the son of a woman from their own village.

2. Do Not Become a Person from Jesus' Hometown. Do Not Become a Relative of Jesus.

The saying, "A prophet is not without honor except in his own hometown," also appears in verse 4 of today's passage. It is a statement made by Jesus. He rebukes the people's unbelief, pointing out that prophets or great figures are not respected in their own hometowns or among their own relatives, the very places where they are best known. When Jesus came to his hometown, the natural response should have been welcome and support. It should have been a point of pride and joy that this precious person, respected by many and preaching the good news of the kingdom of heaven, was from their own town. Yet, instead, they rejected him and did not believe in him. They rejected him precisely because he was a relative, because he was from their hometown, due to their familiarity and preconceived notions. In other regions, people followed the Lord, listened to his words, and came to believe, but in his own hometown, he was rejected. Even Jesus, who was far greater than any prophet, received such treatment. Although Jesus was fundamentally God, he was despised and insulted by those who should have honored him most, and ultimately, he died on the cross due to the accusations of his own countrymen.

In this way, close relationships became obstacles on the path to true faith. If we had been Jesus' townspeople or relatives back then, how would we have treated him? It is possible that we, too, might have been captured by that same prejudice and rejected him. Faith means setting aside prejudice and joyfully welcoming the Lord. Initially, the people of his hometown were also amazed by his teaching and power. But in the end, they did not believe and rejected him. There is a Western proverb that says, "Familiarity breeds contempt." The closer someone is, the more likely we are to lose courtesy and respect for them. This is because we think we know them well and only see them through that limited lens. Being a relative or a fellow townsman should not become a stumbling block or an obstacle. What truly matters is receiving and believing in Jesus. It is by welcoming Jesus, not rejecting him, that we obtain salvation.

In that sense, if our connection as relatives hinders us from having faith and receiving the Lord, then we are being told not to become a relative of Jesus.

Conclusion

There are still factors today that hinder us from having faith, such as preconceived notions and fixed ideas. Change and maturity do not happen automatically just because one has attended church for a long time. If we remain only in outward familiarity without pursuing inner transformation through the essence of the Word, our hearts can become like rocky ground. Wrongly formed attitudes like these are very difficult to correct, and even when we know about them, we tend not to change them. We must not have hearts that are too hard for God's Word to take root. The Lord could not do any mighty work in his hometown (verse 5). The reason was not that he lacked power, but that they lacked the faith to receive that power. However, if we approach God with faith, we can live experiencing the Lord's power and grace more fully. God bestows grace upon those whose hearts are prepared. Therefore, let us repent of the unbelief in our hearts. Let us abandon our preconceived notions and fixed ideas. Let us not try to become relatives of Jesus, but instead become his disciples, following the Lord with pure faith.