Break The Cycle Of Failure

One of the little known facts about Jesus Christ that is in couched within the Holy Writ is the subject of his relationship with his family. We know much about his interaction, concern and care of his mother, Mary. We know a little about the social intervention between him and his earthen father or step father Joseph. However, the focus of this text and the focus of this discourse is on his brothers.

Mary and Joseph produced other children after the birth of Jesus Christ. She was a virgin at her conception. She never knew the touch of a man. She was a virgin during her 40 weeks of gestation. She was a virgin during her hours of travail and delivery. And she remained a virgin until after the days of purification and would later consummate her marriage with Joseph and produced several children – both male and female.

The historical narrative of the scriptures skips the details of the Master’s childhood. We know not of his place of education. We know not of his friends that we went to school with. We know not of the daily tasks that he underwent. We know not of the relationships he developed with other children and young people. However, we do know that he was surrounded by an ever-growing family.

Jesus’ family was not a perfect family. It began with a sour note. For his mother was pregnant without the benefit of a husband or a health care plan. His father was wrestling with the idea of abandoning his pregnant betrothed before the wedding nuptials would take place. He would live under a roof of a man who was not his natural father. His younger brothers and sisters would be complete DNA matches with each other. However, there could not be a complete DNA match because in his veins ran the blood of his mother and the blood of his father, Jehovah.

His family was related to royalty but not benefactors of royalty. His earthen father, Joseph, had the position of a carpenter – one who has to repair soldier’s shoes and every day workers sandals. A carpenter, who spent most of his working day bent over the cobbler’s bench. He was not a rich man; however, he provided a lifestyle that suggests that Mary, Jesus and the siblings were adequately provided for. There are no signs of an intervention by a social worker to their home. There are no signs of police interaction. It was a home that barely made ends meet, but ends were met.

Perhaps a lot can be learned just in this introduction. Many of us in here are living in a generation of halves and steps. Little brother is a half brother and big sister is a step sister. Blended together by the union of mom and that man or dad and that woman. You may not look like your brother or talk like your sister. Your father may be tall and you may be short. Or you may be tall and your mother short. You may be living in a home with both mother and father or maybe your plight is that you live in a single parent household with only your mother or father there.

It’s easy to allow social situations and circumstances in our lives defeat us even before we get started. According to statistics with divorce increasing and social traumas increasing – with incest in the home and drug use at an all time high. You can easily get discouraged and find yourself trapped in a cycle.

We are living in times where there are now generational cycles:

There are second and third generation wannabe gangsters and we’ve even developed monikers for our gang progenitors by calling them “O.G.s” – original gangsters.

There are now second, third and fourth generation families trapped by the Welfare System. Momma was on welfare with several babies and grandmamma was on welfare with several babies and even though you promised yourself that you wouldn’t go out like that – you too are in the same boat.

There are now second and third generation drug and alcohol abusers. Those who have been affected by waves of cocaine into a country that allegedly seals its borders and you can’t find a Cuban cigar, but it’s easy to find cocaine in the inner cities. Where if you choose to go to jail for a little time, you use the expenses powder cocaine, but if you want to go to jail and stay a while, you use rock cocaine. Dads are drug users and grandfathers are drug users.

There are second, third and fourth generational folk all over our communities. The family has a history of violence against women. The family has a history of shacking up without marriage. The family has a history of theft. The family has a history of trouble. The family has a history of untruthfulness. The family has a history of unsettledness. The family has a history of much talk and little action.