Thursday, November 17, 2011

A Pastor In His Household

Mark 6:1-6 (ESV) He went away from there and came to his hometown, and his disciples followed him. [2] And on the Sabbath he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astonished, saying, "Where did this man get these things? What is the wisdom given to him? How are such mighty works done by his hands? [3] Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us?" And they took offense at him. [4] And Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor, except in his hometown and among his relatives and in his own household." [5] And he could do no mighty work there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and healed them. [6] And he marveled because of their unbelief. And he went about among the villages teaching. “A prophet is not without honor, except….” Family, it’s a hard thing for a pastor. I think about growing up in a pastor’s house sometimes. It wasn’t easy. My dad certainly did not have the respect he deserved from me. I suppose this is difficult for most growing up as Pks. I don’t know that my dad had it all that easy trying to balance being a father and a pastor. I think he was probably a better pastor in my younger years. A man in this office is almost forced to make a choice between the two. I remember looking on with Jealousy as friends went fishing on Sunday morning. He was the pastor. And you can’t really be your family’s pastor. It’s just not the same. A pastor’s wife is as pastorless as the pastor, all the more reason for a pastor to have a pastor. But you get the point. It isn’t easy. Your brothers and sisters that grow up with you, are probably going to have a hard time taking you seriously as a pastor. Your parents? Your friends parents would find it easier. So just don’t even try there. Let someone else be their pastor, that is not your job. And drop the airs. I don’t know, I think that was the problem growing up. Especially in a small town. People expected things of the pastor and his family. That they would more or less be as dysfunctional as the family next door, was not what they expected. All that jazz in Timothy and Titus I suppose about managing a family. I’m not sure that I know what all that means. I think I read that once, and made a conscious effort to be unruly to discredit my dad. It didn’t work. I think the town’s people were unto me. Oh well, a pastor may not be a prophet in the sense of which Jesus is speaking here. He still has something to learn from that quip, anyone who makes a living proclaiming God’s word does. When you get home it’s time to be dad. Time to be a husband, because at home, you can’t be pastor.

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