What Would your Brother Say? WWBS

You've often heard it said... What Would Jesus Do? WWJD? But... today, you can ask, what would your brother say? It's far too often that we find ourselves being overly critical of the people who are closest to us. It happens naturally. The closer you are to someone, the more you get to know the 'worse' along with the 'better' of your now only sometimes-seemingly-better-half. Parents, siblings, kids... we can see the faults and we hesitate to believe the best in spouses who were once the moon and stars in our eyes, and parents who were once super man, and kids who at one point never did any wrong. But now, we see the wrong... and because of our deep sense of commitment, we're too quick to point it out.

For example, let's look at Jesus' brothers in this section.

1After this, Jesus went around in Galilee, purposely staying away from Judea because the Jews there were waiting to take his life. 2But when the Jewish Feast of Tabernacles was near, 3Jesus' brothers said to him, "You ought to leave here and go to Judea, so that your disciples may see the miracles you do. 4No one who wants to become a public figure acts in secret. Since you are doing these things, show yourself to the world." 5For even his own brothers did not believe in him.

6Therefore Jesus told them, "The right time for me has not yet come; for you any time is right. 7The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify that what it does is evil. 8You go to the Feast. I am not yet[a] going up to this Feast, because for me the right time has not yet come." 9Having said this, he stayed in Galilee.

10However, after his brothers had left for the Feast, he went also, not publicly, but in secret. 11Now at the Feast the Jews were watching for him and asking, "Where is that man?"

12Among the crowds there was widespread whispering about him. Some said, "He is a good man."

Others replied, "No, he deceives the people." 13But no one would say anything publicly about him for fear of the Jews. -John 7: 1-13

Poor Jesus. It's a tough life. Not even his brothers believe him. In fact, it's interesting, because they're admitting that He's done miracles. But it's almost as if they're saying, "Ok, sure. You can make things happen here at home. But prove it. Prove that you're the real deal. Do something someplace else."

And that's why it's important to consider what my Uncle Rod often points out and what I refer to as "the James test." If, after everything was said and done, Jesus' brother who saw Jesus through the 'worse' as well as the 'better' wrote a whole book explaining that Jesus was the son of God... that's really something. As Uncle Rod says, "Because I know my brother, and you know your brother, and we know they are great... but they are not Christ." If anyone knows you, it's your immediate family. And I'm sure it wasn't an easy thing to proclaim, but even after moments of doubt and disbelief... in the end James knew his brother.

So, for those moments of disbelief, remember "the James test." And take another look through that book of the Bible for an inspiring 'inside scoop' of the life of our Lord.