When Jesus had finished these parables, he moved on from there. Coming to his hometown, he began teaching the people in their synagogue, and they were amazed. "Where did this man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers?" they asked. Isn't this the carpenter's son? Isn't his mother's name Mary, and aren't his brothers James, Joseph, Simon and Judas? Aren't all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all these things?" And they took offense at him. But Jesus said to them, "Only in his hometown and in his own house is a prophet without honor."  -Matthew 13: 53-57

     Though he'd only been promoted a few months earlier, he was already shaping up as the picture-perfect manager, keenly focused on removing any barriers that prevented his team from accomplishing their objectives.  Having grown up in the firm, literally from the bottom rung of the ladder, he had a keen sense of what worked and what didn't, and where to go for quick solutions to sticky problems.  Most of his workers appreciated his selfless humility and his managers appreciated his can-do energy.  In career-building language, "this kid was (obviously) going places." 

     But here he was, sitting in my office asking to be placed back in his old job.  Why?

Here are some clues:

--Former U.S. Vice-President Hubert Humphrey reportedly once said that "behind every successful man is a proud wife and a surprised mother-in-law."  Archaic as that quote may be, issued in America's "Leave it to Beaver" era, its' sentiment matches closely a quote from Jesus centuries before:  "Only in his hometown and in his own house is a prophet without honor."

--Here's another: "Familiarity breeds contempt, while rarity breeds admiration." (Apulueis, Roman philosopher)

--During the 20^th century, mission organizations reported that the number one reason why missionaries left the field wasn't persecution or homesickness or cultural misunderstanding or even lack of response.  The number one reason missionaries left their posts was because of conflicts with other missionaries in their own organizations!

     Sitting in my office that day, I listened as this bright young manager described the barbs tossed at him by his former coworkers, including some he'd always counted as friends.  Like so many new managers, he'd been prepared for a little resentment or jealousy, but nobody had ever taught him that the hardest judges in our lives are very often the people closest to us.  

     Lottery winners are often bewildered by the resentment they encounter from friends and family when their good news gets out.  Even people whose success comes as a result of hard work and sacrifice often have to deal with jealousy from loved ones.

     Nothing robs us of joy or energy or passion more than the hurtful words of someone who matters to us.  Plus, since these people know us so well, they're not firing blanks: Inevitably they pick up the "live ammunition" of our real frailties in order to assure a "direct hit."

     Let's be clear here:  What they're doing is shamefully sinful, but still, their real reminder of our flaws often accomplishes precisely what they hope, robbing us of the joy in the moment.  Sometimes it even disables us like it was about to do this young manager.

     One of the most effective ways Christian workers can stand out as "salt and light" in the workplace is to resist this very human temptation to resent the good that happens to others.  One of the best ways to stand out as "salt and light" to our family and friends is to refrain from the "Can anything good come out of Galilee?" remarks we're prone to make when a loved one or close friend experiences success. 

     Let our legacy be encouragement.

--Randy Kilgore

rkkcak@aol.com

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