Somebody Said

Series on Luke

III The Initiation

D The Activities of His Ministry Revealing that the Kingdom Is:

8 Family

Text: 8:19-21

Introduction

We read in verses 19 and 20, Now Jesus’ mother and brothers came to see him, but they were not able to get near him because of the crowd. Someone told him, “Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to see you.” I suspect that the person who came to Jesus and told Him that His family was waiting outside of a crowd, when he heard Jesus comment was probably thinking, “Don’t shoot the messenger.” It is obvious people expected Jesus to give preferential treatment to His family, because that is what most people would have done. Jewish families were certainly the most devoted to their blood ties and genealogies of all ancient peoples. As usual Jesus surprises them. Jesus often teaches the importance of spiritual ties as He does here.

I Blood Brothers

There is an old German proverb that translates as “Blood is thicker than water,” Meaning that family ties trump other relationships. Like many proverbs it is only partially true, but it does prove true in people’s experience, or it would not be a proverb. Luke has already told us that Jesus, as a child, was subject to His parents in 2:51. But when he stayed behind to dispute in the temple at the age of 12 and His parents were alarmed, even at that point he was saying to them that they needed to realize that he had to be concerned with His heavenly Father’s business. Later after His public ministry commenced, He had to remind His mother again when she requested help at a wedding feast because the wine had run out. Jesus helped, but he first we read in John 2, “Dear woman, why do you involve me?” Jesus replied. “My time has not yet come.” His mother was not put off. In fact she was with Him to the end at the cross, and Jesus took special care of her commending her with His dying words in John 19:25-27 to the care of the Apostle John, Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, “Dear woman, here is your son,” and to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” From that time on, this disciple took her into his home. At least one of Jesus brothers, all of whom questioned his wisdom and work ethic early on, was a leader in the early church and is distinguished from the Apostles. Paul tells us in Galatians 1, Then after three years, I went up to Jerusalem to get acquainted with Cephas and stayed with him fifteen days. I saw none of the other apostles—only James, the Lord’s brother. I assure you before God that what I am writing you is no lie. It is reasonable to assume that Paul means he saw no other apostles besides Peter, but he also saw James. In I Corinthians 15:3-7 when talking about the appearances of the risen Christ Paul again separates James from the Apostles, They are to believe the Gospel that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, and then to the Twelve. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. James has long been identified as the leader of the Jewish Christians in Jerusalem, and he was an important leader in the early church and even spoke at the Apostolic counsel in Acts 15. I won’t belabor the point, which is, that James was a blood relative of Jesus, and was a loyal and devoted follower. Jesus cared for His family physically and spiritually, but He always wanted to make it clear that His work for the heavenly Father came first. Jesus does not want us to neglect our God-given families, but He does want us to keep our priorities straight. Thus when He speaks in Matthew 10:37 and 38, Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me, He is not saying we shouldn’t love our blood relatives, but rather that they should not take precedence over our love for Him.

II Baptized Brothers

Jesus lays down the principle that trumps the old proverb in verse 21, He replied, “My mother and brothers are those who hear God’s word and put it into practice.” I know that Christian baptism was not yet instituted, but baptism is a symbol of our unity in Christ. Baptism is a symbol of the family of God, and therefore of those who hear God’s word and put it into practice. In verse 21 Jesus is saying that water is thicker than blood, meaning that those who are united by the water of baptism are closer than those connected by blood. Sadly this is not the way it looks in actual practice. Christian brothers do sin against one another, and they do refuse to forgive one another and they often have disputes that divide the Church. Some of these divisions are good and necessary like the Protestant Reformation because they separate truth from falsehood. Others, however, are the direct result of human pride. These are divisions that stem from men insisting that others conform to their particular obsession, preoccupation, or fixation on an interpretation that has nothing to do with the substance of the gospel. A classic example is the division of the body of Christ over differing views of the interpretation of prophecy. Considering that such matters invite different interpretations and are probably the least clear of all Biblical doctrines, it is a scandal that churches are divided over these viewpoints. In Philippians 2:2-7 Paul tells us, Make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant. The Lord Jesus Christ not only teaches us humility and unity through His example, but it was, indeed, His mindset. In His parting words to His disciples in John he says this over and over. After washing the Apostles’ feet in John 13:12-14 we read, My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. And at the end of the same chapter in verses 34 and 35 Jesus says, A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another. It is perfectly clear that Jesus was talking about visible unity because the world could see it. Then in John 17:20-23 Jesus is praying, My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. This is the mind of Christ that should be in us and if it was we would try with all our strength and with every legitimate motivation to manifest that unity to the world. Sadly publications are filled with stories about what are now called dysfunctional families. The body of Christ should send a different message. The family of God would be able to do that if we paid attention to Jesus’ words here, My mother and brothers are those who hear God’s word and put it into practice.