“When Jesus had finished these parables, he moved on from there. 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. ‘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?’ And they took offense at him. But Jesus said to them, ‘A prophet is not without honor except in his own town and in his own home.’ And he did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith.” Matthew 13:53-58

Dear Jesus, I have been that prophet who was not accepted in his hometown. It’s no fun. How it must have hurt your heart to be the Savior of all of your dearest loved ones and yet they found conventional ways to reject you. I’m moved by your patience with them. You knew that you’d send others that some of them would listen to. You humbled yourself to wait on the Father’s plan to play out. I’m learning from you to pray and trust that you will send others to reach the ones I love with your word if they do not listen to me because I’m their hometown boy. Give me the grace to rejoice when they tell me what someone told them that helped them, even though I had told them the very same things for years. I want to be humble enough to see your hand and not my own. In the same way, crush my foolish pride that doesn’t want to receive the word from my family just because I know them well. Make my heart an open book ready to receive your words. Give me the ability to listen with my heart and not just my head. Whenever you have made me pliable, I have experienced great insights that I needed for my life. I look forward to more, even from my closest relatives. Amen.

Truth is truth whether it comes from an ass or an angel.