And He looked around in a circle at those who sat about Him, and said, "Here are My mother and My brothers! For whoever does the will of God is My brother and My sister and mother."
--Mark 3:34-35 (NKJV)
From the daily Bible reading on April 25, 2013 of Psalm 78:40-55; Mark 3:13-35; Joshua 22:21-24.
Yet again a large throng gathered in and around the house where Jesus was staying; so many, Mark relates, "that they could not so much as eat bread" (verse 20). The twelve disciples had been chosen and appointed by name, those that Jesus wanted to follow Him, that He would send out to preach and heal and cast out demons (verses 13 through 19). Jesus had just finished rebuking the scribes who came from Jerusalem with His parable of a house divided against itself because they had said He had the devil within Him (verses 22 through 30). And now, with His disciples clustered around Him and the multitude seeking Him filling every available space in and outside the house, a message is passed to Jesus that his mother and brothers are outside calling to Him and wishing to see Him. Rather than get up and try to force His way out to them or have them brought through the crowd to Him, Jesus sits still and poses a question that must have puzzled all who heard. "Who is My mother and My brothers?" (verse 33b), He asks. Spreading His arms wide and indicating everyone nearby and beyond His reach, the Lord answers His own question: "Here are My mother and My brothers!" Jesus states that anyone and everyone who does the will of God, His Father, is indeed His mother and sister and brother. With these words, Jesus expressed that He felt closer to those who belong to God's family than His natural, earthly family.
We love our immediate family, our close relatives. Even if there is one we don't especially like or want to be with all that much, we still love them because, after all, they're our brother or sister or aunt or whatever. The point is, we love our family because they are our family. But now Jesus is saying that once we have chosen to follow Him, our true family is composed of all of those who do God's will. He even puts this new family ahead of the one we've known and loved all our life! This goes in keeping with the new commandment He gives us, that we love one another (please see John 13:34). The Apostle John echoes this when he says, "if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another" (please see 1 John 4:11). And the Apostle Peter puts is all together when he instructs that we, "having compassion for one another", should "love as brothers" (please see 1 Peter 3:8).
We should look at the folks around us each day. Jesus commands us to love everyone we see just as much as we love ourselves, just as He loves us. But He gives an ever so slightly greater emphasis to those who are doing God's will. Those around us, whether in church or the corner store, who are striving with all their being to follow Jesus and do as God wills them, these are our true brothers and sisters, in Christ. Love them even more. Amen.
Loving Father, thank You for adopting us into Your great family! Help us always remember that just as Jesus is our Brother by Your goodness and grace, all those who strive to do as You will them are also our brothers and sisters in Christ. May we always serve them and love them more even than ourselves. In the dearest name of Jesus we pray. Amen.
We love our immediate family, our close relatives. Even if there is one we don't especially like or want to be with all that much, we still love them because, after all, they're our brother or sister or aunt or whatever. The point is, we love our family because they are our family. But now Jesus is saying that once we have chosen to follow Him, our true family is composed of all of those who do God's will. He even puts this new family ahead of the one we've known and loved all our life! This goes in keeping with the new commandment He gives us, that we love one another (please see John 13:34). The Apostle John echoes this when he says, "if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another" (please see 1 John 4:11). And the Apostle Peter puts is all together when he instructs that we, "having compassion for one another", should "love as brothers" (please see 1 Peter 3:8).
We should look at the folks around us each day. Jesus commands us to love everyone we see just as much as we love ourselves, just as He loves us. But He gives an ever so slightly greater emphasis to those who are doing God's will. Those around us, whether in church or the corner store, who are striving with all their being to follow Jesus and do as God wills them, these are our true brothers and sisters, in Christ. Love them even more. Amen.
Loving Father, thank You for adopting us into Your great family! Help us always remember that just as Jesus is our Brother by Your goodness and grace, all those who strive to do as You will them are also our brothers and sisters in Christ. May we always serve them and love them more even than ourselves. In the dearest name of Jesus we pray. Amen.
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