Mark 6:1-6
Author and pastor Max Lucado tells of a time when he almost lost his two-year-old daughter when she accidentally fell into a swimming pool one day. Although a tragedy was averted, Lucado admits that on his part there had been carelessness and a taking for granted attitude that lead to almost losing her. In his book, God Came Near, he reflects: “I came face to face with one of the underground’s slyest agents, the agent of familiarity. His commission from the black throne is clear and fatal. Take nothing from your victim; cause him only to take everything for granted. He (familiarity) had been on my trail for years and I never knew it. But I know it now. I’ve come to recognize his talents and detect his presence. And I am doing my best to keep him out. His aim is deadly. His goal is nothing less than to take what is most precious to us, and make it appear common.”
Familiarity breeding contempt is a clear and present danger. Lives are put in jeopardy because we underestimate familiarity’s threat. Marriages run aground because it’s menace is ignored. A spirit of gratitude is often absent because it is present. We become lazy in worship because it is work. As Max Lucado warns, taking things, people, and God for granted is a work of the enemy. That is why we must work harder at giving thanks for everything, jealously guarding love, prizing people, seeing the big in the small, and worshipping God as our chief joy. We must fear the dawning of a day in life when everything becomes smaller, and we lose our capacity to wonder.
The danger of familiarity breeding contempt is sadly on display in Jesus’ rejection by the people of Nazareth (Mark 6:1-6). This was His hometown, and yet the people that should have known Jesus best understood Him the least. He was a prophet without honor in his own town (Mark 4:4). There was skepticism, even cynicism about Jesus. They reasoned that Jesus was a carpenter; He builds tables, He doesn’t do miracles, He is Mary’s son, not God’s son (Mark 4:2-3). For them, the glory of Christ’s person and work was hidden behind a veil of ordinariness. Paradoxically, they didn’t marvel at Him, rather He marveled at them because of their unbelief (Mark 4:5-6). Instead of being lost in wonder, love, and praise toward Christ, they were offended by Him (Mark 6:3). Christ was a scandal in the town; familiarity had bred contempt. Those who had lived in proximity to Christ were far from appreciating or understanding Him.
To a lesser extent, that can even happen after faith in Christ. The pearl of great price, Jesus Himself, can lose His luster (Matt. 13:45-46). We can lose our taste for the goodness of God. We can lose our first love. The things of God can become humdrum. We no longer shiver at the thought of hell and no longer smile at the thought of heaven. We no longer fawn at the thought of Christ. We have sadly and scarily begun to neglect and take for granted so great a salvation and Savior (Heb. 2:3). Today, fight that work of the enemy in your soul that would take what is most precious, the gospel and Christ, and make it appear common.
“To you who believe, He is precious” (1 Peter 2:7).