Home Court Disadvantage

Matthew 13:57
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.”

Last night the Memphis Grizzlies played an amazing game against the Spurs at home in the Fed Ex Forum that has been affectionately renamed the “house of grind.” The place was electric with fan frenzy. There is something special about playing at home that gives you that extra boost of confidence through support of the people. In many stadiums and arenas, the crowd is known as the sixth man because of how the fans add power to the team. Having a home court is supposed to be an advantage.

The only place ‘home court’ is a disadvantage is in the arena of the anointed. Many times people who are anointed in the area of ministry are honored more away from home than they are by their own. The closer people are to you the more common you become. It’s hard for people to see you because they see you every day. This can happen in ministry and in marriage. You can take a team like the Seattle Supersonics with a mediocre response from their fans and relocate them to a town hungry for a team like Oklahoma and get totally different results. Home court should be an advantage but sometimes there is no honor amongst our own.

After being successful everywhere else in healing the sick, raising the dead, giving sight to the blind, Jesus comes to his hometown and preaches in their synagogues. They were amazed but not convicted. They were impressed but not converted. They wanted to know where did he get all this wisdom and how is he performing all these miracles because we know who his mother and father are. We know where he lives. We grew up with him and they went from being amazed to offended!

When you have been called and anointed don’t be surprised if you are not honored at home. You’d think there would be a home court advantage but sometimes it’s a disadvantage because:

1. Familiarity breeds contempt. When people are around you a long time the novelty wears off and they begin to see the natural more than they are able to see the super on your natural. In relationships, it’s called taking the other for granted. Have you ever noticed that your spouse looks better when you take them out around other people? It’s not that they look any better but it’s because other people take notice of what you have become used to.

2. They are offended by the prophetic because they can’t get past the man. Some people appear more anointed because you don’t know them. If you knew them you probably wouldn’t be able to handle their humanity. Some of the most anointed are the most eccentric. That’s why Jesus had to pray before he selected his disciples. Even Judas was offended by how Jesus handled the expression of appreciation from the woman who anointed him. He wanted that money to be used for the poor (himself) but the woman wanted to honor Jesus.

3. Family are too familiar to receive because they see you as equal not anointed. Even Jesus had to shift his family dynamics by saying, “those that do the will of my father are my family.”

4. You can’t do many miracles around people whose faith is tainted with familiarity. This is why you have to move away sometimes to do the same things that you could have done at home. Could this be why Lebron James took less money to leave Cleveland and go to Miami?

How do you strengthen your Home court advantage and honor your prophet?

1. Don’t make your pastor/leader/spouse so familiar that you stop seeing God in them. Step back every now and then to appreciate the person that God has put in your life to lead you. Pray for them and honor them through obedience to their leadership.

2. Give Honor where honor is due. 1 Timothy 5:17
The elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honor, especially those whose work is preaching and teaching.

3. Honor the position while relating to the person.

4. Give your prophet/pastor home court advantage. The more you cheer/support/believe the better they do. The Memphis Grizzlies theme is, “we believe.” Now that the fans believe, the players are playing like they believe. We need a home court advantage at church and at home to keep on winning.

Dear God,
Strengthen our home court so that we can give our very best to you. Thank you for grounding moments when we realize that its not about us but its about you. I’m not here to take your Glory but to give you more. Thank you for the moments when home court pushes me beyond what I thought I could accomplish. Thank you God for being in my court and pushing me past my humanity into the place of the prophetic.

In Jesus Name,
Amen