“He came to his own and his own people did not receive him” (John 1:12). This brief statement summarizes what we have been reading about Jesus in this chapter in Matthew. Excuses abound but Jesus is not daunted by his unreceptive audiences. He turns to prayer and in these few verses we get a glimpse into his intimacy with the Father. Much of the resistance to his message of the kingdom have come from those who think they know better.