“His brothers said to Him, “Leave Galilee and go to Judea, so that your disciples there may see the works You do. No one who wants to be a public figure acts in secret. Since you are doing these things, show Yourself to the world.” (John 7:3-4 NIV)
Sometimes brothers give bad advice.
Jesus knows our hearts, so the motives of Jewish leadership were crystal clear to Him. He knew they were already conspiring a way to kill Him. More than that, He was aware that His brothers weren’t really for Him, they were not convinced of His messianic nature. Though they had grown up beside Him, they were blind to His holiness, too familiar to find His divinity.
Jesus expresses His intent to stay far from Judea until the appointed time. Galilee was a more liberal land, by ancient standards. Capernaum’s proximity to the Decapolis (ten Roman cities) loosened the religious grip on it’s inhabitants. In Capernaum, Jesus was welcomed, His teaching was accepted. In Jerusalem, the staunchly religious residents were intimidated and threatened.
We tend to believe like the brothers do; if you want a public presence you’ve got to put yourself out there. But Jesus was thinking more Kingdom than political. He knew that a public ministry is only maintained through small, right actions in secret. Jesus spent thirty full years in obscurity, following through on simple instructions from the Father. The unseen decades of obedience built up His discipleship muscles to a point where He could maintain a powerful, effective and consistent public ministry. He was prepared to obey even when the stakes were impossibly high because He had practiced obedience day after day, year after year while the stakes were still low and no one was watching.
A successful public ministry is absolutely reliant on a well-disciplined private life. What we do in secret will certainly be made known.
“Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much.”
(Luke 16:10 NIV)
“What you have said in the dark will be heard in the daylight, and what you have whispered in the inner rooms will be proclaimed from the roofs.”
(Luke 12:3 NIV)
Lord, we realize that our inner life builds our outer life. May we honor You each day with small and consistent right choices. Build up our muscles of discipline now, that we may successfully bear the weight of any ministry to come. Amen.