WE Are Family

​Family is very important.  It is for me.  I would do anything to help my family be happy, prosperous, and successful.  In fact, much of my life has revolved around my family. I believe wholeheartedly that my family is a true gift of grace from God, and I am certainly a blessed man because of my beautiful children and the twenty-eight years I spent with my late wife, Carrie.
 
So, when I come across verses like this morning’s text, I cringe a little at the words of Jesus.  I try to imagine how I would feel as a father if I heard my son or daughter say, “Who are my brothers and sisters and mother?” Then, pointing to a group of strangers and saying, “These are my brothers and sisters and mother.”  I think as a father, I would be hurt and somewhat offended.  
 
I have chosen today’s passage simply because when I used to read this text, my response was, “Whatchu Talkin’ Bout Jesus?”  I mean, isn’t family supposed to be the most important thing?  Isn’t staying true, loyal, and faithful to your family until the very end a biblical concept?  Aren’t we supposed to love our families unconditionally and accept them for who they are, whether we approve of their lifestyle or not?  Didn’t God create the family so man would not be alone?  These are all questions that come to mind for me, and as I studied for this sermon, I began to see what Jesus meant in his reply to his brothers and sisters and mother.  I can’t say that all my questions were answered to my liking, but they were answered, nonetheless.
 
Today, we will examine Mark 3:31–35 and gain insight into what Jesus was discussing.  Hopefully, as we learn together, we will begin to see family in a little different light and see that the family is something far greater than what many of us may think or believe.  
 
Mark 3:31 – 32
To start, as much as this verse may make me wonder what Jesus was talking about, I think we should know that what he said was scandalous.  The family bond in Jesus’ time and in the OT times was loyal and long-lasting.  It was common for children to live near their parents (if not actually live with them).  Every aspect of life revolved around the family.  In many cases, the family was a business unit, and they would share everything in common.  As parents aged, the children would care for and provide for them.  As they neared death, the children would put their lives on hold and wait for their parents to die so they could tend to the body and bury them in the family plot for a proper burial.
 
In ancient times, loyalty to the family was important, not just for the benefit of the family, but also for society as the people of God.  Breaking the family bond was not considered good among first-century Jews.  So, this was why Jesus’ words were scandalous.  However, Jesus wasn’t speaking flippantly here.  He had a reason for saying what he said, and I think it applies to us today.
 
Up to this point in his life, Jesus has begun to garner some attention.  He has gathered his 12 disciples, has been healing the sick and casting out demons, and has given many controversial sermons.  The attention he was getting was not all positive, especially among the religious leaders.

There were murmurings of Jesus being a crazy man, a demon-possessed man, and a false prophet.  He was beginning to be despised by the leaders and was becoming the butt of jokes in the public eye.  So, when his family heard all he was doing, they took a trip to Capernaum, went to the house where he was teaching, and asked to speak to Jesus.  I am sure they were embarrassed by him at this point.  They were beginning to think he was crazy, and they wanted to stop the lunacy, so to speak.  Ultimately, I think they wanted to squelch any further public attention, especially from the religious leaders.
 
Some scholars and Bible teachers have suggested that they may have been trying to protect him because they did not understand what he was up to.  Yes, Mary did know that Jesus was a special child and God was going to do great things through him, but I don’t know if what she saw Jesus doing at this time was what God meant.  They thought he was mad! As his family is outside the house, they ask someone to tell Jesus they are outside and want to speak to him.  His response was not what people were expecting. 
 
Mark 3:33 – 35.  
Jesus was not denouncing his family, nor saying he was not part of it.  Instead, he is redefining his family and who this family consists of.  Jesus’ response is radical, and in one fell swoop, he has cut the ties of the traditional family and given it a new look. Essentially, Jesus is starting a new family or expanding the family.  His bloodline family probably did not realize it, but by trying to stop him, they were going against God’s will.  David E. Garland writes, “Life under God is not defined in relationships in a biological family, which is geared for the preservation of the family line, its wealth and honor.  One’s ultimate devotion is to God alone who is the head of this unique family that consists of all types of people.  The only requirement to this family is commitment to God.” Jesus’ redefinition of family is massive because at first, his response seems heartless and offensive.  But when you look at what he was saying, he was speaking encouragement to the people in the house, because these were men and women who had left their families to come and follow Jesus.  In doing so, they were now part of a new and much larger family.
 
Jesus defines family not just in terms of blood relations or marriage.  He is saying true family is found in shared commitments to God.  He is saying that people who are committed to God have a stronger bond with one another than with their true blood relatives, especially with those who have no relationship with God. This is a controversial statement to make today, so how much more do you think it was in the first century when family was all that mattered?
 
The people Jesus was calling his family were those whose allegiance was to God.  This meant submitting oneself to Him and following him to bring glory to His name and share the good news of the Kingdom of God.  This was the common bond.
 
So, was Jesus saying that families are bad?  No, not at all. He is saying that family is much more than we think. The Bible teaches that we are to be respectful to our parents, we are to love our children, and not provoke them to wrath.  We are to love, honor, and respect our husbands and wives. We are to protect, support, and care for our families… this is biblical.  However, our loyalty should always be to God first and then to family.
 
Jesus shows us our families are a lot bigger than we thought.  Your true brothers and sisters are those who are aligned with following Jesus and walking in his ways.  In fact, some of us here have closer bonds with someone who is not a family member but is a believer in Christ.
 
 If I could sum up Jesus’s point, it’s “The body of Christ, the Church, and His people is true family.”  Our devotion is to God alone, not to our blood relatives. These are big words because sometimes our commitment to Jesus Christ causes unwanted division within our families, and for some of us, our loyalties must lie in doing God’s will rather than appeasing family.  That may sound radical, but I do believe it is what Jesus meant.  He went against his family's wishes himself because they did not understand what God was up to, and He knew he had to do God’s bidding instead of being loyal to his family. Thankfully, his mother and many of his brothers and sisters came around and finally grasped what God was doing, and this may be the case for some of you. Jesus was suggesting that a family that is blood-related AND bound together by loyalty to Him is strong and impenetrable.  This is the true family.
 
This is my prayer for every family here.  I pray that your family is bound together and kept by faith in Christ.    
 
Application
So what is our response today?  What are we to do with these words of Jesus?  

1. Understand that we who are in Jesus Christ are family.  This body of believers is knit together as a family by the common bond of Jesus Christ. We are family.
2. Treat one another as family.  We are brothers and sisters in Christ, so let us treat one another with respect, dignity, and love.  May we be quick to forgive and show endless amounts of grace, mercy, and compassion to one another.

 
Conclusion
Is family important?  To use one of my favorite Wisconsin quotes, “You Bet!”  This radical new concept of Jesus may be controversial; however, I pray that we wouldn’t look at it as a negative or heartless response.  Instead, I pray that it would enlarge our understanding of family and remind us that we are part of a larger family.  A family that is connected by one common love and loyalty to a great God who, in his love and care, gave us the ultimate model of what a true family is and how it should function.  So may we as a church body live as a family joined together by the love, grace, and mercy of God; showing forgiveness, compassion, love, loyalty, and blessings to one another because we are family.
 
 

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