JESUS’ MOTHER AND BROTHERS

The Gospel of Mark #12

Mark 3:31-35

Pastor Dennis Clanton

Woodland Church

Wednesday, January 25, 2023

“If your family doesn’t appreciate you, take heart. Jesus faced the same thing in his family.” – Max Lucado

(Mark 3:31–35, NLT) “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 crowd sitting around Jesus, and someone said, “Your mother and your brothersare 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.”

1. JESUS DID NOT BREAK HIS FAMILY TIES.

(John 19:26–27, NLT) “When Jesus saw his mother standing there beside the disciple he loved, he said to her, “Dear woman, here is your son.” And he said to this disciple, “Here is your mother.” And from then on this disciple took her into his home.”

(Mark 7:9–13, NLT) “Then he said, “You skillfully sidestep God’s law in order to hold on to your own tradition. For instance, Moses gave you this law from God: ‘Honor your father and mother,’ and ‘Anyone who speaks disrespectfully of father or mother must be put to death.’ But you say it is all right for people to say to their parents, ‘Sorry, I can’t help you. For I have vowed to give to God what I would have given to you.’ In this way, you let them disregard their needy parents. And so you cancel the word of God in order to hand down your own tradition. And this is only one example among many others.”

2. THERE IS A FAMILY RELATIONSHIP THAT IS MUCH DEEPER.

(Mark 10:28–30, NLT) “Then Peter began to speak up. “We’ve given up everything to follow you,” he said. “Yes,” Jesus replied, “and I assure you that everyone who has given up house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or property, for my sake and for the Good News, will receive now in return a hundred times as many houses, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, and property—along with persecution. And in the world to come that person will have eternal life.”

3. LISTEN CAREFULLY.

(John 4:34, NLT) “Then Jesus explained: “My nourishment comes from doing the will of God, who sent me, and from finishing his work.”

(Mark 10:29–30, NLT) “Yes,” Jesus replied, “and I assure you that everyone who has given up house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or property, for my sake and for the Good News, will receive now in return a hundred times as many houses, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, and property—along with persecution. And in the world to come that person will have eternal life.”

(Matthew 10:37,NLT) “If you love your father or mother more than you love me, you are not worthy of being mine; or if you love your son or daughter more than me, you are not worthy of being mine.”

4. LISTEN OBEDIENTLY.

(1 John 4:19, NLT) “We love each other because he loved us first.”

(John 14:21, NLT) “Those who accept my commandments and obey them are the ones who love me. And because they love me, my Father will love them. And I will love them and reveal myself to each of them.”

“Doing God’s will–faithfully, zealously, despite the absence of tangible rewards–is a worthy goal and a colossal success in itself.” – Craig Larsen

To listen carefully is to listen obediently.