Mark 3:20-35

I was in Grand Rapids, MI all week for our Annual Conference. We did the usual things: approved a budget, celebrated with fellow pastors about their new appointments, saw some pastors retire and some new ones get commissioned and ordained. But the thing that struck me the hardest was the theme of the conference and the preaching surrounding that theme: A Healthy World, Mind Body and Spirit. It was good stuff. The message was holistic and applicable from the individual all the way to the global community. If we want healing and and wholeness we have to address our whole selves: Mind, Body and Spirit.

I left home early Tuesday morning and was gone until Saturday afternoon. I pulled into the drive way of the parsonage pulled my luggage out of the van and headed inside. When I walked in the door and I saw Jay, my 5-year-old son, standing there. I admit I was expecting even hoping for a joyful reaction from my son who hadn't seen me for nearly five days. He looked at the suitcase in my hand and said in a low and 'impressed' kind of tone, “That's a pretty nice bag you have there.” Thanks Jay, its nice to see you as well.

Family is great. Your family should be your greatest ally. Your family are those who can make up for your weakness with their strength and whom you are responsible for lifting up with your strength. Our families are often bound by shared genetics but obviously that is not the determining factor of who your family is. Anyone who is married knows this first hand. We choose to be bound to another person through the covenant of marriage to another and we become a family without being genetically related. We choose to adopt children who were born of another mother and father but who become very much our own and are indeed family.

I remember with my wife, who is not genetically related to me, experiences over the last 20 years and those memories are another connection point in our relationship. My children and I have shared memories as well. Even the children that were with me since their birth have different experiences of this life than me and have their own perspective. My children that spent their first years experiencing life elsewhere, also have something unique to bring to our collective experience as a family.

Family is who we choose to love. Family is who chooses to love us back.

Loving someone means that you are very much interested in the health of their mind, body and spirit. In fact Jesus says that “no one has greater love than this-that one lays down his life for his friends.” To see someone else and understand that their life is of sacred worth. That saving their life is worth risking your own. When you can see the intrinsic value of an others life whether they are are of “use” to you or not then you are beginning to approach the idea of family. It took until I had children of my own before I really got this. I would give my life to save any of my children.

Imagine if a child of yours or someone that you love started making poor decisions for their life. Imagine how you would feel if they had a good job but they just quit it. What would you do if one that you loved had a place to stay but they chose a homeless life and was associating with a group of people who have done the same? What would you say if they were starting trouble with some very powerful people?

This was the perspective of Jesus family. They saw the things he was doing. They were hearing the murmurings of the community so they intended to go and “help” Jesus by removing him from the situation. They thought that he had lost his mind and they were willing to help him. But Jesus didn't need any help did he?

Jesus wasn't out of his mind but rather had the mind of God.

Jesus wasn't acting irresponsibly or irrationally, he was on a mission!

Jesus could see things that we cannot see. He could see the brokenness of the world around him. Jesus could see the pain and suffering that people experience because of that brokenness. Jesus could see the need we have for the love of God. Jesus could see that we are blinded by the brokenness of this world; we are distracted by unholy things, and have forgotten to turn our hearts fully toward God. With Jesus birth the kingdom of heaven came near. Holiness entered the brokenness. Jesus offered a new way. Jesus offered a new beginning. Jesus offered healing to the mind. He taught the truth and he corrected the misguided Jesus offered healing of the body. He healed the leper; made the blind to see, and the def to hear. He healed the spirit. Not only did he cast out demons but far more importantly he offered us a way to enter into a state of holiness. He said that we should turn from our brokenness, turn from our distractions and turn toward God in his name. And when we do that we will receive forgiveness for our failures and he will put a new spirit in us.

In this passage of Holy Scripture those that were surrounding Jesus said to him, (and this is a paraphrase), “Oh man Jesus! Your mom is here!” Notice that Jesus in his answer to his concerned friends about the arrival of Mary the mother of Jesus, that he never denounces his family. He never separates himself from them but rather he widens the definition of family of which they may still choose to enter into. He says, “Who are my mother and my brothers?” and looking at those who sat around him, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! Who ever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.”

Who ever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother. Who ever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother. If I do the will of God. I am Jesus brother. If you do the will of God you are Jesus brother or sister. That means you are my brothers and sisters. You are my family. How blessed is it when our family by genetics and by choice are also in the family of God?

Brothers and sisters, Jesus commissioned us to go out and proclaim that the Kingdom of God has come near. We are to tell the story of repentance and forgiveness of sin. It's all about turning our hearts toward God. It about the restoration of that holy relationship between God and humanity. God came to humanity in human form and his name is Jesus. That is the message that we have to share. That is the witness that we have to give. It is a holy and good message. It is the Gospel it is the Good News of God. But there will be some who will not hear it. There will be some who hear a distorted, hate filled, judgmental version of it. There will be some who have no interest in it. And there will be some who cannot hear it because they choose not to.

But then there are those who hear it and mistake the Good News for evil. Which brings me to that very difficult passage, verses 28 and 29, “Truly I tell you, people will be forgiven for their sins and what ever blasphemies they utter; but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit can never have forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin.” Tough stuff.

Jesus said this in response to the scribes who were saying that he was in league with the demons. We tend to like rules. They are easier on us intellectually. If you do this or that, then these are the consequences. Many religious faiths are based on law. Do this and this and don't do this and this. This statement seems like one of those kind of situations. The thing is Jesus didn't come with lists. It would be inconsistent of Jesus to add another rule to the list.

Jesus was all about getting people to turn their mind, body and spirit toward God to find wholeness. Jesus did not come to condemn the world but that the world might find life through him.

What I think he is saying here in this passage, is that if you are so far gone in your distractions. If you are so far into your own belief system or ideology that you cannot see and recognize what is good and holy and right, right in front of you, then you are truly lost. He wants us to wake up. Quit digging in our heals on earthly matters that divide the family of God and turn our hearts toward him.

Look around. This is your family. Those who do the will of God are your brothers and sisters. You may not have chosen them but they chose God when God called.

So how is it with you today? You may be distracted by the brokenness of this world. You may be tempted in every way to stray from loving embrace. But God is welcoming you back today. Jesus offers a way to be part of the family of God. It is in Jesus that we will find healing of our of our mind, body and spirit.