IIMITATE THEIR FAITH/MARY - "HIS BROTHERS WERE . . . NOT EXERCISING FAITH IN HIM"

 The Gospels tell us relativel little about Mary durign the three and half years of Jesus' ministry.  Keep in mind,  though, that she was likely a widow-a single mother at that. pehaps with young ones still at home.  It is quite understandable if she was unable to follow Jesus as he preached throughout his homeland. (1 Timothy 5:8) Still, she continued  to meditate on spiritual things that she had learned about the Messiah and to attend meetings in her local synagogue as had always been the custom. - LUKE 2:19. 51, 4:16. 

Is it not possible, then, that she was sitting in the audience when Jesus spoke at the synagogue in Nazareth? What a thrill for her to hear her son announce that a centuries -old Messianic prophecy was being fulfilled in him! It must have been distressing, though, to see  that her fellow Nazarenes did not accept her son.  They even tried to kill him! - LUKE 4:17-30. 

Also distressing was way her others ons responded to Jesus.  W learn at John 7:5 that Jesus' four brothers did not have their mother's faith.  We read: "His brothers were . . . not exercising faith in him."  As to Jesus' sisters -of whom there were at least two-the Bible is silen_in any event, May came to know the peculiar pain of living in a home where diffeing religious viewpoints prevailed. She had to strive for the balance of remaining loyal  to divine truth while working to win over the hearts of her family members without being overbearing or combative.

Next time: IMITATE THEIR FAITH/MARY - Conclusion of "HIS BROTHERS WERE . . . NOT EXERCISING FAITH IN HIM"

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