Your friends and family won’t get you.

I remember sitting at the table at the family cabin after my first mission trip with Cru. My family was asking about the summer and what I had learned. As we started talking about Jesus and the gospel, it didn’t go so well. “Who is interpreting the Bible for you?”

When my wife and I became missionaries to the college campus, most of our backing came from people we didn’t know. Close friends and some family didn’t join with us. They prayed, of that I’m certain. But, they just couldn’t get on board with what we were doing.

As a pastor, I’m finding that my weird life is misunderstood by many of those closest to me. I’ve learned to be OK with it. To smile and laugh, I know it’s not mean-spirited.

Jesus was in his hometown and as he tried to carried out his ministry those closest to him said, “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? 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.”

What was Jesus response? “And Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor, except in his hometown and among his relatives and in his own household.”

I’m learning that when you are following your calling there will be those who won’t understand. They will often be the folks closest to you. Often it is those who love you the most that will understand you the least.

But, that can’t stop you. You have to move on. Keep going. Jesus did.

Without Honor was originally published in The Rev on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.