No Honor at Home

In John 4:43, Jesus repeats a truth that would echo throughout His ministry: "A prophet has no honor in his own country." This statement was not a complaint but a sober observation. Even the Son of God found that familiarity often breeds contempt, and that those closest to the messenger sometimes resist the message the most.

The Bible gives us many examples of this pattern:

• Joseph – Though chosen by God through dreams to rule, his brothers resented him and sold him into slavery (Genesis 37). It was strangers–Egyptians–who eventually elevated him to honor.
• Moses – Despite being the deliverer of Israel, he endured repeated rebellion and scorn from the very people he led out of slavery (Numbers 14).
• David – When Samuel anointed him, his own family doubted his worthiness. Later, while faithfully serving King Saul, David was treated as an enemy rather than a loyal servant (I Samuel 18).
• The Prophets – Jeremiah was beaten and thrown into a pit by his countrymen (Jeremiah 38), and Elijah was hounded by Ahab and Jezebel despite calling Israel back to God (I Kings 19).
• Jesus Himself – In Nazareth, those who had watched Him grow up dismissed Him: "Is not this the carpenter's son?" (Matthew 13:55). They could not reconcile His divine authority with their human familiarity.

The principle is clear: God's messengers are often least valued by the ones who should have recognized them most.

A Word to Today's Ministers

If you labor in preaching, teaching, or shepherding, you may find that your work is not fully honored by those closest to you–sometimes even by your own family or congregation. Know that you stand in good company. Every prophet, every apostle, and our Lord Himself bore this same weight.

But take courage: God honors the faithful servant, even when people do not. The recognition that matters most is His, not theirs. As Paul reminds us, "It is the Lord Christ whom you serve" (Colossians 3:24).

So preach the word, endure the scorn, and rejoice that you are sharing in the fellowship of God's messengers across the ages. Your reward in heaven will not be withheld, and your labor in the Lord is never in vain (I Corinthians 15:58).