Mk. 3:31-35 “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."
Can you say wow! This passage challenges all of our culture’s traditional sense of loyalty and normalcy. In the norms of our society family is esteemed as the pinnacle. However, this passage elevates obedience to God above every other thing. It is truly a reflection of the truth that we are members of the kingdom of God first and members of our family second! This passage emphasizes the reality that when we stand before God we stand alone, for our life, regardless of the choices of our family members and friends. We will not be able to point to what others have done to us or to others as our excuse. We must choose personally! We are responsible for our own obedience regardless of what others do.
Throughout His ministry Jesus consistently pointed the disciples and the multitudes to the fact that there will be times when we have to choose where our allegiance lies. There will be moments when the costly decision to follow the Lord will be placed in front of us and in those moments we are compelled to say yes! In Mark 3:31-35 Jesus demonstrates His own commitment to live by the principles that He is teaching. When His family is outside calling for Him to come He makes a clear distinction that His true family is the believer not flesh and blood. Even as a youth it is clear that this principle was already being established in His life. As a twelve year old boy at the temple when His earthly parents came looking for Him His response to them in Luke 2:49-50 was "Why were you searching for me?" he asked. "Didn't you know I had to be in my Father's house?" 50 But they did not understand what he was saying to them.” Already He was prioritizing His life around His heavenly Father not His earthly family, even though they did not understand what He was saying to them.
It is costly to say yes to the Lord. There are many times when we are placed in a position where there is a great tension between comfortable stability and absolute obedience! Our families have a unique capacity to place us in a highly tense social and emotional pressure to elevate them above a life of obedience. Jesus warns His disciples of the cost of living for Him in Luke 12:50-53. “Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division. 52 From now on there will be five in one family divided against each other, three against two and two against three. 53 They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law." There can be no question that for some the choice to follow will be at great cost.
There is good news that comes with the choice to follow as well. In Matt 19:29 “everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life.” Notice He does not encourage abandoning your spouse for the sake of the gospel. This aspect is distinctly absent from the list! Whenever possible spouses should go too!! Even Paul supports this principle in 1 Cor 9:5 when he writes “Don't we have the right to take a believing wife along with us, as do the other apostles.” The cost to follow is evident but as Mt. 19:29 says, the reward is great. We cannot bless God more than He desires to bless us! For all of those who pay a price for the Gospel by following in costly obedience and leaving behind the earthly connections of life Jesus assures us that blessing will follow. His promise is for one hundred fold increase AND eternal life. Do not let fear of loss outweigh confidence in the blessings that will follow after you in God’s time. When we count the cost and follow there is great reward in it!
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