Mark 3:31-35; The unconditional love of Christ

Mark 3:31-35

Well, good afternoon.

It’s great to be here.

I’m glad that y’all were able to make it here today. 

So how many y’all were here last week?

I know we had about seven or eight people here last week 

So I want to do just a small review from last week

because today’s story really piggybacks

off of what we talked about last week 

And if you recall,

we talked a lot about the unpardonable sin

Or the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit

About how the Pharisees were accusing Christ

of casting out demons by the power of Satan

and so on and so forth

And so I do understand last week might have been

A bit theologically heavy

Maybe even a stretch for you depending on the Christian tradition

Or Christian Doctrine that you submit to

You know I think

Last week we sort of got rid of a lot of the confusion.

Maybe we even got rid of some of the frustration that surrounds that particular doctrine. 

And I think that that teaching really helped some of us

or at least it helped me.you know

when I was studying for that sermon

I began to really understand or put to bed the questions

that I had surrounding this particular confusing doctrine

because if you were like me and you grew up in a Pentecostal church there was a lot of confusion.

There was even a lot of anger and questions that surrounded this particular issue

and sometimes it could be scary and terrifying. 

And so today i want to sort of take a break from the theological discussions

Because it’s not the theological concepts that I wanna talk about this week

And you’ll see what I mean when we get into this passage

But this week I wanted to hit on the four verses

that fall at the bottom of the story that we went over last week

And what is unique here is that if you read the verses 20 -35 of Mark 3

Believe it or not they all go together

I mean we are talking about the same moment in time

But for some reason believe it or not open

Most Bibles will open up a new section

Certain translations that I studied anyways

will actually give this a section a new title

entitling this the true family of Jesus.

Almost making it seem as though this story doesn’t connect

To the previous accusations made

And even the sermon we talked about last week

And what you may not realize is that if we go back up to verse 20 and 21

and then add that verses31 to 35

you really begin to get the context

and the situation

And you even begin to understand the emotion and turmoil

that Jesus is going through and that’s where I really wanted to hit on today 

Because believe it or not, it is the context of the story

or the environment of the story

that really brings to life the emotions

that would have been going on in Jesus

And just so you know I do recognize we are talking about our Savior

And so I do want to be respectful and recognize his divinity in this moment

But I also want to recognize his humanity in what

he may have been feeling,

Because for me, when you bring in the emotion

You truly begin to understand

The unconditional love our Savior has for us

And you also begin to fully embrace the absolute determined effort

And I am one that truly believe that when we fully understand

What He went through

What He endured

And yet He refused to call it quits,

I’m gonna say,

comes from a different type of love

and a different type of effort

one that we might not be so familiar with

because as human beings,

I don’t know how much rejection I can possibly take before I say enough is enough…

AMEN!!

So if you would open up your Bible to mark chapter 3, we’re just gonna be hitting on versus 20 through 21 then we’re gonna jump down to 31 through 35 

Mark 3:20–21 (NLT)

20One time Jesus entered a house, and the crowds began to gather again. Soon he and his disciples couldn’t even find time to eat. 

21When his family heard what was happening, they tried to take him away. “He’s out of his mind,” they said.

Mark 3:31–35 (NLT)

31Then Jesus’ mother and brothers came to see him. They stood outside and sent word for him to come out and talk with them. 

32There was a crowd sitting around Jesus, and someone said, “Your mother and your brothers are outside asking for you.” 

33Jesus replied, “Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?” 

34Then he looked at those around him and said, “Look, these are my mother and brothers. 

35Anyone who does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother.”

So how many of us have ever really felt complete and total rejection. 

And I’m not talking about just a slight rejection,

but I mean like from your community

from your family

from just about everybody that you could possibly think of  

You know I’m gonna be honest

that’s what the sermon is about today.

That’s the reason that I played those songs today or worship

because I wanted us to kind of get an understanding

or a feeling of the dualistic nature of what it feels like

to be home to be with family

to be comfortable

to be loved

And then compare it to Jesus‘s ministry

because it is quite incredible to see what he actually went through

And if you think about it and fast forward to the cross

Today’s rejection

Is just a taste of what He is going to feel

And even embrace in His earthly ministry

So now once again, context, context, context,

We must understand what is going on here? 

First of all notice how verse 20 through 21 connects with verse number 31  through 35

and what you have here is Jesus’s family

coming to come get him because he’s acting a fool

He is misbehaving, not acting in a manner they feel his should

and in their mind… not doing the family any good favors

does that make sense? 

And think about it

what would you do as a paren

as a brother

as a sister

of a man who has gone so wild

who has gone so extreme

that he now has thousands of people following him

that he has the Roman Empire looking into him

that he’s got the religious system of the day,

which is basically the equivalent to the police force

So He’s got the religious system of the day

calling him a heretic and plotting to kill him.

What would you do as a family?

Maybe you recall the passage in Luke 12 verse 51-53

Where Jesus warns about families being split because of Him

And what he stood for and what He claimed

And what is unique here is the truth of that passage

As we see that Jesus own family is not immune to such division

As Jesus is living and breathing this very warning 

And trying to put this into perspective

one commentator put it like this

he said not all of Jesus suffering is physical.

And think on this

He is suffering the rejection of his people

the rejection of the religious system to which he has come to correct

but he is also suffering the rejection and the humiliation

of being rejected by his biological family 

To the point that it almost appears as though

They’re embarrassed to be seen in public with him

Look with me here at verse

31…Jesus’ mother and brothers came to see him. They stood outside and sent word for him to come out and talk with them. 

32There was a crowd sitting around Jesus, and someone said, “Your mother and your brothers are outside asking for you.” 

How many of you all caught that reading this passage?

How many of can relate

To this same type of negativity

I can tell you right now,

the majority of the time

When people come to see me

When people are feeling down and out

Suffering from depression

Maybe even having thoughts of suicide

It is because of situations just… like…. this….

Jesus is going through something incredibly emotional and hard here

And I think a lot times we truly don’t understand or embrace

The human side of Him

But you know I have to argue that I in just reading this story

In just seeing how most people react and how human emotions work

that he might’ve been a little bit angry, frustrated,

Dare I say maybe even sad 

And I say this because look at how Jesus responds

And don’t pass this up

Because what He does here

Is not only culturally suspect

But Theologically interesting

And I know I said we wouldn’t be diving to deep into theology here

But take a look here

At what he says…

33Jesus replied, “Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?” 

34Then he looked at those around him and said, “Look, these are my mother and brothers. 

35Anyone who does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother.”

Mark 8. The Family of Jesus (3:20–21, 31–35)

Jesus did not teach that physical relationships have no value, only that they must be subordinated to spiritual relationships

And I would add… especially that relationship between you and our Savior

It is the relationship with our Lord and Savior

And His church

That are given true priority here….

That are taught here as needing to placed above all else

And I can imagine the scene here as Jesus looks to the crowd

And says those words

And think on it,

How might His family responded to such words?

To hear Jesus say this in front of everyone

And while it is easy to say Jesus disrespected his family

What we may be missing here is the emphasis that Jesus is placing

On those eternal relationship

That eternal view point

That we so easily look track of

And what’s unique here is that when you understand or embrace

What Jesus is saying here

And even what Jesus is alluding to…

You’ll be able to swallow passages like Matthew 10 verse 37

Where it state’s

Matthew 10:37–39 (NLT)

37“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. 

38If you refuse to take up your cross and follow me, you are not worthy of being mine. 

39If you cling to your life, you will lose it; but if you give up your life for me, you will find it.

Final point and we will close with this

You know I remember when I was stationed in Maryland

we used to go to this church called Church of Philip

A Korean church, you know anybody ever been to Korean church?

They’re interesting.

I mean you got one side that’s highly highly presbyterian very formalized

but then in the morning you get the women that’ll come in there and pray

and it’s almost like going to a Pentecostal service!

I mean you walk into a Korean church on Sunday and it was all buisness

But go there at 6AM during prayer time

It’s a tongue praying pentecostal worship service

I recall the pastor teaching on the importance of building spiritual relationships

And the importance of the church

and the love of the brotherhood the sisterhood,

and how we ought to embody the eternal values of Christ

through selfless acts of service towards one another,

but I remember at the end of the sermon the pastor asked every single person

in the church to get up and come to the front.

I remember he asked us to hold hands he proceeded to look at us

and tell us to look to our left and to our right

understand and realize that these are your brothers and sisters in Christ

and from here on out, we are a family,

that you will know that individual for all eternity,

And the regardless of the relationships the friendships that you have for here on this earth,

nothing will surpass the eternal bond that we have in Jesus

through Jesus

and sealed by the Holy Spirit.

Isn’t that beautiful

You know maybe one day when we are in eternity

Maybe we will reminisce on these days

Maybe we will laugh and recall all the times we spend together

But y’all If can get you to take anything away from today’s sermon

Something to put at the forefront of your mind

That regardless of what Jesus went through

Regardless of the pain he felt both physically and emotionally

Regardless of the rejection he endured

He stayed the course and He did it with the end goal in mind

Continue to make Him number 1 in your life today

And continue to watch that eternal relationship Grow

Lets close in prayer