A Different Perspective
July 16, 2000
Dear Friends:
It is often an interesting and useful exercise to try and understand the position of the Bible personalities or groups and to try to see the issue at hand from their perspective. It can give a better understanding of what was going on in a particular passage as well as to understand what God, through his apostles and prophets was trying to teach.
For example, did you ever wonder why Jesus’ brothers did not believe in him when they had Mary as their mother? Didn’t Mary teach them who he was?
Consider the following in John 7:3-5:
“Jesus’ brothers said to him, ‘You ought to leave here and go to Judea, so that your disciples may see the miracles you do. No one who wants to become a public figure acts in secret. Since you are doing these things, show yourself to the world.’ For even his own brothers did not believe in him.”
Also, in Mark 3:21, his brothers think he is crazy. “When his family heard about this, they went to take charge of him, for they said, ‘He is out of his mind.’”
So, why did his brothers not believe? It is an interesting question with perhaps a speculative answer, but one that makes us think more deeply about the situation.
Consider that it is unlikely that Jesus’ brothers had ever seen him do a miracle. They may have been at the marriage of Cana, but only the servants actually witnessed the water turning into wine.
Secondly, Jesus did not receive the Holy Spirit without measure until he was away from home.
More importantly, it is possible that Mary did not teach her children the exact circumstances of their brother’s virgin birth and the following prophecies. Perhaps Mary with her terrifying experiences with Herod and the flight into Egypt followed her motherly instinct and never told anyone about her son for fear for his life. This would seem a plausible explanation for her son’s unbelief about their elder half-brother. Of course we know that later they did believe as evidenced in Acts 1:14.
The point is that when we place ourselves in the position of men in the Bible, both good and bad, and try to see things from their perspective, we can new insights into the possible and probable feelings, motivations, triumphs and mistakes. The greatest benefit, however, is when we can translate those thoughts and actions into our own experiences. Even wicked Sodom is a worthwhile example in what NOT to do. “If he condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah by burning them to ashes, and made them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly.” (2 Peter 2:6)
It is easy to sit back and second guess the decisions people made in the Bible. We can see with the clarity of hindsight how the children of Israel should have followed the advice of Joshua and Caleb to invade the land. We clearly see the folly of those who fled in Gethsemane leaving the Lord alone.
If we stop for a moment and think of the mistakes that we make on a daily basis with all of the signs we have in our day and age, we should all be a little more understanding of the men and women who went before us. Think about the incredible pressures and prejudices that the people of that day were under and we will understand exactly what they were dealing with. In turn, it will help us to deal with things in our lifetime and aid us in making the Bible come alive.
Have a great week!
