Conflict within family

*extracts taken from the book'Desire of Ages' chapters 7-9

Not until I read these chapters did I realise that before even the time when Jesus would have to defend the fact He was indeed the Son of God, He was subject to harrassment from His OWN family!

From the time that the 12 year old Jesus went to the priests in the temple to ask them how they interpreted the Messianic prophecies, they became aware that He did not hold the same view as they did, and it was their job to correct Him!

'From childhood He acted independantly of rabbinical laws.The scriptures of the Old Testament were His constant study, and the words"Thus saith the Lord' were ever upon His lips'

"He did not attack the precepts or practices of the learned teachers'

In a very gentle and submissive way, Jesus tried to please those with whom He came in contact. Because He was so gentle and unobtrusive, the scribes and elders supposed that He would be easily influenced by the maxims and traditions that had been handed down from the ancient rabbis.

They urged Joseph and Mary to discipline Him, and so they rebuked Jesus.His older brothers sided with the rabbis-

'they charged Him with thinking Himself superior to them. They often threatened and tried to intimidate Him.'

This angered His brothers-they could not account for His constant serenity under trial and deprivation.

'Jesus was misunderstood by His brethren because-He was not like them. In looking to men, they had turned away from GOD and they had not..... HIS POWER in their LIVES'

Ultimately-He would be challenged by Satan-'IF you be the Son of God......... So Jesus advised his in Mathew chapter 5...the Beautitudes-

Blessed are ...the poor in spirit

they that mourn

the meek

those that hunger and thirst after righteousness

the merciful

the pure in heart

the peacemakers

those who are persecutedfor my sake

Christianity is truly foreign to our human nature isn't it heh?