“ ‘You can’t become famous if you hide like this! If you can do such wonderful things, show yourself to the world!’ ”
John 7:4 (NLT)
After many followers deserted Him, Jesus stayed in Galilee—away from the spotlight, ministering to the forgotten. When the Festival of Shelters approached, His brothers urged Him to go to Judea and make Himself known. But they didn’t believe in Him. They thought Jesus’ mission was about fame, not faith. They judged His value by visibility and results, not obedience and relationship.
How often do we do the same? Like His brothers, we sometimes try to advise Jesus through our prayers—telling Him how and when to act. Their words revealed unbelief, not support. They discounted the people Jesus loved out in the countryside—the poor, the ordinary, the overlooked. But Jesus saw them as precious.
In verse 24, Jesus says, “Look beneath the surface so you can judge correctly.” His brothers and the Jewish leaders alike cared about appearances, but Jesus cared about hearts. God reminded Samuel in 1 Samuel 16:7 (NLT), “People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” When we seek our own will, we worship a genie. When we seek God’s will, we learn to trust His timing and love people for who they are, not what they can offer.
Let’s get low like Jesus today. Look beneath the surface. Love the ones the world overlooks. Believe that Jesus Himself—not what He can do for you—is more than enough.