Who's in the Family?

Today's Morning Thought from Mark 3:20-35...(9 June 2024)

Mark 3:20-35

And the crowd came together again, so that they could not even eat. When his family heard it, they went out to restrain him, for people were saying, ‘He has gone out of his mind.’ And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem said, ‘He has Beelzebul, and by the ruler of the demons he casts out demons.’ And he called them to him, and spoke to them in parables, ‘How can Satan cast out Satan? If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand, but his end has come. But no one can enter a strong man’s house and plunder his property without first tying up the strong man; then indeed the house can be plundered.

‘Truly I tell you, people will be forgiven for their sins and whatever blasphemies they utter; but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit can never have forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin’— for they had said, ‘He has an unclean spirit.’

Then his mother and his brothers came; and standing outside, they sent to him and called him. A crowd was sitting around him; and they said to him, ‘Your mother and your brothers and sisters are outside, asking for you.’ And he replied, ‘Who are my mother and my brothers?’ And looking at those who sat around him, he said, ‘Here are my mother and my brothers! Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.’

Today's passage after yesterday's (Luke12:49-59) might feel a bit overwhelming, but Jesus is exploring what does it mean to be a part of God's community or family.

Today, we hear how the religious leaders don't know how to make sense of what Jesus is doing. He doesn't fit, and he corrects them, explaining how it can't be what they think. Then, there is that strange verse about blaspheming the Holy Spirit being "an eternal sin." What is that about? In short, it is about separating oneself from the community, about declaring that you do not belong. It is something we do to ourselves, but what Jesus says next is about the radical openness of the family or the community of God. Whoever wants to be in, can be! And people who want to be in are the ones doing the God-things that Jesus is all about: preaching good news to the poor, binding up the brokenhearted, setting the oppressed free, healing the sick, casting out demons, and restoring people to the fullness of life. If we can follow him in doing that, we too belong. The choice is ours.

Today, may we choose to be a part of God's community, Jesus's family. May we join him in transforming this world more and more into the Kingdom of God. May we find the fullness of life in bringing it to others.