COMPLACENCY BREEDS CONTEMPT
I remember being in military service and working in the munitions field. This was a dangerous profession and there were many rules to be followed in order to promote safety. One of the most common sayings was that "complacency breeds contempt". This basically meant that just because a situation or environment is familiar to you, it is no less hazardous and you should not overlook safety requirements.
Over the years I saw this declaration affirmed many times. Fortunately, none of the violations resulted in any horrendous mishap.
Perhaps on the other side of this coin, we could modify the statement to say "familiarity breeds contempt". For example, how many times has your son or daughter come home with some information provided by an admired teacher at school - and this information must be absolutely true? It could be the exact same information you have provided them, but now it must be right and believable. Why? Because the teacher is admired and obviously educated. The student only sees the teacher in a particular setting. But you on the other hand, the mother or father, can't possibly know anything. You have so many foibles. You are just mom and dad. Your offspring knows you so well that they know what you will say next and how you will react to any given situation. In other words, they are familiar with you.
If people know you very well, in many instances they would take the advice of a stranger rather than to accept any from you. We have all been there. This is a pretty annoying experience.
As another way of example, I was in the computer repair field for many years. If a customer had a particularly difficult machine problem, they always wanted an "expert" from out of town to come and fix it. Even though we had qualified technicians in town, it wasn't good enough because they were known by the customer.
But this is human nature, right? If it could happen to Jesus during his teaching years on earth, I suppose it would happen to any of us.
Jesus was preaching in his home town of Nazareth when the citizens became angry at him.
Mark 6:1-4 "And he went out from thence, and came into his own country; and his disciples follow him. And when the sabbath day was come, he began to teach in the synagogue: and many hearing
him were astonished, saying, From whence hath this
man these things? and what wisdom
is this which is given unto him, that even such mighty works are wrought by his hands? Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joses, and of Juda, and Simon? and are not his sisters here with us? And they were offended at him. And Jesus said to them--`A prophet is not without honour, except in his own country, and among his kindred, and in his own house;' "
There is a lesson here. I will leave it for you to discern.
Dr. Gary Tryzbiak
