THE STORY OF JESUS: Luke 8:19-21
“My mother and brothers are those who hear God’s word and put it into practice.”
If anyone should be able to claim special ties to Jesus it was His family.
But being born into His family does not make you His family.
Being born into the church (as I was) does not make me a Christian.
Just because I am standing close to Jesus, does not mean I am close to Him.
The religious leaders were close to Jesus, yet remained closed to Him.
My guess is that this is true for many people who go to church every Sunday.
My intent is not to be judgmental, but to get all of us church goers to think.
I include myself in this challenge: am I meeting Jesus’ criteria for belonging?
Have I surrendered to His message of radical love (i.e. God’s Word), and wanting to live it?
Have I received His love for me and all people, and I am sharing that love with others?
Am I the first to admit how far I fall short, and relying on His mercy and help to change?
Am I daily clinging to Jesus so that I can daily strive to put His ways into practice?
I know that I will fail, we all will; no one can live up to God’s love perfectly.
But those who are close to Jesus’ heart, whom He considers real family, are:
(1) those who admit their weakness in practicing God’s love
(2) those who trust Jesus for mercy and help
(3) those who strive, with His help, to do better every day
Is this my heart… am I this kind of family to Jesus?
What do you sense the Lord saying to you?
PRAYER
Lord, I surrender again to You. I want to be in Your family of love, and to follow You in the way of love. I want to be known as Your brother because of Your love showing in me.
Just some of my thoughts on this. I wonder if back then, in that culture. That perhaps Jesus lived in a culture that deeply valued family. Do you also notice that Luke is much softer in terms of dealing with particular issues than Mark is? I find that a tad bit interesting. Anyways – what I sense this means is exactly what you said about just because you were born into His family doesn’t really make you His family. Even by blood. Just because I wasn’t born into a church family, doesn’t mean I don’t have one. But rather most important, it’s with the ‘relationship’ that is established between one and Christ.
It is not even determined by being baptized (which I used to think) if you became baptized, you were truly part of His family – but by our total commitment to the learning and growing to love unconditionally and by trying to follow the teachings of Jesus.
Observation/Application
What is family? That is still a question that is asked today by many.
Jesus’ mother and brothers came to see Him. That is the physical family, through blood. However, the spiritual family are all those who are Christ followers, followers of His Way. Those followers are adopted sons and daughters, not of flesh and blood. This new relationship is bonded through love – love for God, love of neighbour. That love is the one command of the law.
Help me daily Lord to live that love in all my relationships.
Love, Love, Love, Love
The Gospel in a word is Love
Love your neighbor as your brother
Love, Love, Love
Peace, Peace, Peace, Peace
The Gospel in a word is Peace
Peace that passes understanding
Peace, Peace, Peace
Joy, Joy, Joy, Joy
The Gospel in a word is Joy
Joy that fills to overflowing
Joy, Joy, Joy
Christ, Christ, Christ, Christ
The Gospel in a word is Christ
Love Him, serve Him, and adore Him
Jesus Christ