LOOK BEYOND NEGATIVE WORDS AND ACTIONS

7. What may have prevented Jesus’ half brothers from putting faith in him?

⁷ Jesus’ half brothers likely heard about the miracles Jesus performed in Galilee. (Luke 4:14, 22-24) At first, though, they did not put faith in him. (John 7:5) Why? The Bible does not say. But it reveals at least two things that held back some Jews from becoming Jesus’ disciples. Some were afraid of being rejected by the community. (John 9:18-22) Others had known Jesus from his youth and could not imagine him as God’s representative. (Mark 6:1-4) Jesus’ half brothers may also have been affected by this kind of thinking. Could similar factors affect our loved ones?

8. What may cause unbelieving relatives to speak or act unkindly?

⁸ Consider the motives behind their words and actions. Jesus’ brothers may have been among the relatives who once said that he had “gone out of his mind.” (Mark 3:21) Why might they have come to that conclusion? The context shows that Jesus was so much in demand that he did not even have time to eat a meal. (Mark 3:20) Did his relatives think that he was being fanatical? It is possible. Our relatives may think that we take our religion far too seriously. If they feel that way, we do well to show by our actions how reasonable we truly are.

REMAIN PATIENT AND HOPEFUL

11. How did Jesus deal with his unbelieving siblings?

¹¹ The Gospel accounts indicate that Jesus remained patient with his brothers. For example, they too were evidently in Cana when Jesus performed his first miracle. (John 2:11, 12) As mentioned earlier, Jesus’ siblings did not put faith in him. However, Jesus did not cut ties with them. The Bible reveals that about three years after his first miracle in Cana, Jesus was speaking kindly to his brothers.​—John 7:5-8.