Mind Meld of A Different Kind

MARK 3:31-35
Then Jesus’ mother and brothers came to see him. They stood outside and sent word for him to come out and talk with them. There was a crowd sitting around Jesus, and someone said, “Your mother and your brothers are outside asking for you.”

Jesus replied, “Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?” Then he looked at those around him and said, “Look, these are my mother and brothers. Anyone who does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother.”


Best Marriage & Family Counsel Ever!
Ouch! Mark just revealed that when Jesus’ family was worried for his sanity, he ignored them. Now he insults them!

“Your mom’s here. You know, the one who endured the neighbor’s scorn when she insisted she immaculately conceived you; the one who fled to Egypt to save your skin; the one you worried silly when you were twelve and heady with profound dialog in the Temple; that’s the one who’s here.”

I would have been insulted by his response. But I’m glad he answered that way. It’ll take a lifetime to live up to the implications. But in the process my family and marriage relationships will be better than they would have been.

Seems to me that Jesus rather painfully teaches that spiritual relationships always trump blood relationships. This redefines common assumptions a couple of ways.

First, the priority of and enduring nature of family relationship always goes to fellow followers of Jesus. A “blood” sibling who rejects Jesus, is not as much family to me as an “unrelated” member of my church who accepts Jesus. For Christians, the “blood” of Jesus that runs between the children of God is thicker than the “blood” shared because of physical birth. This can be tough to accept, but sets us up for what follows.

Because the spiritual relationship is more defining than the physical relationship, my believing sibling is first my brother or sister in Christ, only then my physical sibling. My believing spouse is first my brother or sister in Christ, only then my spouse. My unbelieving family members, are first my potential spiritual family, before they are my present physical family. The implications are wonderful.

The New Testament is full of counsel about relationships in God’s family. I especially appreciate the “one another” commands. For example (add “one another” to each word), honor, love, forgive, encourage, admonish, serve, pray for, submit to, etc.

The first place to look for good marriage and family counsel is not those biblical passages that talk about marriage and family or the many books at the bookstore. Relating to my wife and family as brothers and sisters in Christ is my top priority. By then, all the marriage and family advice has pretty much fallen into place, and without being twisted into harmful practices by bad interpretation.

Creator of new days, make today a fresh beginning in my relationship to my family. Forgive me when I relate to them first as parents and siblings and wife and kids. Take me another step in reorienting my perspective of them so that I will see them as spiritual family first. Then birth in me new depths of love you have in store for your family.