Jesus Advised By His Brothers
After this, Jesus went about in Galilee, for he would not do so in Judea, because the Jews were eager to put him to death. When the Jewish Festival of Tabernacles was near, his brothers said to him:
“Leave this part of the country, and go into Judea, so that your disciples, as well as we, may see the work that you are doing. For no one does a thing privately, if he is seeking to be widely known. Since you do these things, you should show yourself publicly to the world.”
For even his brothers did not believe in him.
“My time,” answered Jesus, “is not come yet, but your time is always here. The world cannot hate you, but it does hate me, because I testify that its ways are evil. Go yourselves up to the Festival; I am not going to this Festival yet, because my time has not yet come.”
After telling them this, he stayed on in Galilee.
But, when his brothers had gone up to the Festival, Jesus also went up—not publicly, but privately. The Jews were looking for him at the Festival and asking “Where is he?”; and there were many whispers about him among the people, some saying “He is a good man”; others: “No! he is leading the people astray.”
No one, however, spoke freely about him, for fear of the Jews.
—John.
Our Endless Obligation To Serve
Just imagine Jesus saying, “I have done my duty.” We cannot think it of Him. Not till He went to the cross could He say, “It is finished.” He demands more of us than that we should pay our subscriptions. Human duty cannot be kept by bookkeeping and the balancing of moral ledgers. We bear no burdens that we can ever lay down and say, “I have carried them long enough.”
—C. S. Macfarland.