June 16, 2015: Mark 3:20-35

-Mark 3:20-35 (NIV)

²⁰ Then Jesus entered a house, and again a crowd gathered, so that he and his disciples were not even able to eat. ²¹ When his family heard about this, they went to take charge of him, for they said, “He is out of his mind.”²² And the teachers of the law who came down from Jerusalem said, “He is possessed by Beelzebul! By the prince of demons he is driving out demons.”

²³ So Jesus called them over to him and began to speak to them in parables: “How can Satan drive out Satan? ²⁴ If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. ²⁵ If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand. ²⁶ And if Satan opposes himself and is divided, he cannot stand; his end has come. ²⁷ In fact, no one can enter a strong man’s house without first tying him up. Then he can plunder the strong man’s house. ²⁸ Truly I tell you, people can be forgiven all their sins and every slander they utter, ²⁹ but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; they are guilty of an eternal sin.”

³⁰ He said this because they were saying, “He has an impure spirit.”

³¹ Then Jesus’ mother and brothers arrived. Standing outside, they sent someone in to call him. ³² A crowd was sitting around him, and they told him, “Your mother and brothers are outside looking for you.”

³³ “Who are my mother and my brothers?” he asked.

³⁴ Then he looked at those seated in a circle around him and said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! ³⁵ Whoever does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother.”

Reflection: All in the Family

In the Bible, there are just some texts that are hard to understand and even more so to apply to our lives.  This is one of them!  People and society just don’t like inconveniences and interruptions.  People get so frustrated when the events of others invade on their lives.  So much so that, like in our passage today, people will go to almost all ends to get rid of inconvenient and invasive occurrences.  Jesus takes the brunt of their frustrations and yet rises above the hurling insults and offers an extended hand.  His love for humanity extends beyond his family toward a new reality that he is ushering in.  This reality is a reality, which says that all people are God’s children and therefore family to all of us.  I find no jaded disregard for Jesus’ immediate family, rather, I see him modeling the reality that we are ALL family.  The gloves are off and we are called to love everybody, regardless of how they react to us and any inconvenience we might bring with us.  This is tough!  However, I think Jesus is modeling a transformed life.  We are called to approach others in the same manner and the same compassion.

Morning Reflections:

How can we model family to the world?

How might this reality change the interactions of your day?

Noon Reflection:

Who has been challenging for you this morning?

Evening Reflections:

How has Jesus surprised you today?

How can family, our whole family, transform the way we interact with others?