Jesus - Relationships

February 9, 2015

Luke 8:19-21

Often I’ve heard someone say, that person is closer to me than my own family. I’ve even been told, Bob you are closer to me than my own brother.  What is going on that someone else could be closer than family.  For many months I’ve had the joy of meeting with an amazing man, he invited me to be his mentor, but it soon became clear, it was I who was learning from Paul.  Paul has helped me grasp more fully how God does some of His greatest work in relationships.

If you have any doubt about this, look at Jesus building relationships with the disciples, men of very different backgrounds and how through caring, listening, and spending time with them enabled these men to be world changers.  Look with me at Mary of Bethany, and her sister Martha and brother Lazarus, or Mary Magdalene, and what about Joseph of Arimathea, or Nicodemus, all had a relationship with Jesus that changed them.

What about you and me, Jesus has given us new direction, new hopes and new relationships with a new family of brothers and sisters, and yes, some become as close or even closer than our family.  Before you ponder verses 19-21, it would be wise to look again into the character of Jesus and deal with just a few of His traits; 1) Gentleness, look at how He dealt with Peter’s short walk on the water in Matthew 14:28-32, and do you recall the leper pleading, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.” Jesus answered “I am willing; be clean.”  2) What about being Merciful, do you recall the compassion a large crowd aroused in Jesus in Matthew 9:36?  (Insights from T.W. Hunt and the Mind of Christ)

So with that backdrop, we will now ponder on verses 19-21, “Then his mother and his brothers came to him, but they could not reach him because of the crowd. And he was told, “Your mother and your brothers are standing outside, desiring to see you.” But he answered them, “My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it.”  (Luke 8:19-21 ESV)  You may think that was not very nice and you would be in the majority of casual readers, but you would have missed the message.  As you look at Scripture is seems clear that Jesus’ half brothers were not believers at this time, and it is clear that human relationships built on faith in Christ, give one openness to others of like faith, which share life and the teaching of God’s word.  Jesus brothers did not enjoy this at that time and Jesus wanted each of us to grasp the importance of the spiritual over the physical, and especially if the family members are unbelievers.  (Thoughts taken from page 1751 HCSB)

So as followers of Christ, it is all about applying what we hear from the word of God!

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice