16 February | Youth
«Then His fame went throughout all Syria; [...] Great multitudes followed Him—from Galilee, and from Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and beyond the Jordan.» Matthew 4:24, 25
Being famous is a double-edged sword: it has its charms, on the one hand, and drawbacks, on the other. It is not easy to handle this situation. And even those who succeed end up paying a price. For example, the loss of privacy, the high expectations of others, the need to give explanations, the challenge of maintaining a good mood, being cordial, always being in shape and in a good mood, among other things. “Being famous is tiring!” my mother used to say, ironically.
And Jesus? How did He deal with fame? Let us see. Although He, since childhood, stood out due to His intelligence and power, it was only at the age of fifteen, more or less, after passing through the desert of temptation and the waters of baptism, that He began His prophetic ministry and “became the talk of the town”. Before long, everyone had something to say about Jesus. When visiting Nazareth, the place where he grew up, His compatriots demanded that He perform miracles in front of everyone (Luke 4:14-30). It was there that Jesus began to disappoint some of his followers. Disappointment – whether well-founded or not – tends to sadden and alienate people who previously supported your success, as well as filling with bitterness the hearts and lips of those who became disappointed.
Jesus suffered this firsthand. As incredible as it may seem, He was below the expectations of some. Jesus’s neighbors expelled Him from Nazareth, part of the crowd abandoned Him, the family put pressure on Him and even His closest friends were, at times, unable to support Him. However, loneliness, grief, and the challenges of fame never diverted Jesus from His goal nor sank Him into self-pity. Why not? Because knowing what you want, who you are and where you are going makes all the difference, as it did in Jesus’s life!
Anyone who has prestige or fame needs to keep their eyes in the right direction. You can even look back at the followers you have, but you must learn to look forward, because whoever follows you sympathizes with your dreams, your goals, and your values; not just with the person you are. Reflect on this and, the next time you fail to meet someone’s misguided expectations, remember: not even Jesus could do it! Why should you try?