June 10, 2018
Stetson Memorial UMC
Psalm
138
Mark
3:20, 31-35
Family
Ties…
The Lord be with
you
And also with you
Let us pray…
Please stand, as
you are able, for the reading of the Gospel according to Mark, chapter 3,
verses 20 and 31-35. Listen to and for the Word of God to you and I, His
disciples.
When I was growing up I always wanted to
have a sister. I wanted someone that would understand what I was going through
because we were both girls. Wanted
someone could confide in and talk about girls with. But growing up all I had
was an older brother. My cousin Annie was like a sister. She spent most of her
time at our house, but it wasn’t quite the same. It wasn’t until I got older
that I realized what having and being a sister is, Then I realized I had what I
wanted right in front of me…not by blood but by choice. Sisters…
In the Gospel account I just read, it was
right after Jesus called the 12 and they were together having a meal and once
again there were so many people there that they were unable to sit down and
share a meal. All of the sudden, His mother and brothers show up. Now you would
think that He would be glad to see them. There is nothing like blood relatives…people
you were born to be a part of…right? Jesus’ response is quiet radical…but then
again Jesus was radical kind of guy that pushed the envelope.
Jesus was trying to get His point across
with His next statements. He came to unite people into one family. The family
of God. It didn’t mater the pedigree. It didn’t matter whether or not they were
blood relatives. All were part of His family. All who did the will of His
Father.
Jesus was giving a preview of what was
going to happen when He completed His work here on earth. He was uniting both
Jew and gentile into the family of God. With all the promises and covenants
that were of old. He was in the process of ushering in a new way of thinking…a
new type of family. One not made of human flesh but by water and Spirit.
Jesus came and made a ragtag bunch of
sinners His disciples…His extended family. He was sitting with a while bunch of
sinners around Him…tax collectors…fishermen…prostitutes…people on the outskirts
of society. These are the ones He called family, mothers, brothers, and
sisters. He didn’t acknowledge His blood relatives as being such but those who
did and do the will of the Father.
So, what is Jesus telling us in this
scripture? How does this pertain to us today? Well…I think one thing is that
Jesus wants all who does the will of the Father to be included in the family…
We should have family ties with one another…the tie that binds us together is
the tie of Jesus and His radical love. We tend to try and pick and choose who
we think should be included. Bu Jesus is clear. All who do he will of God are
His sisters, brothers, and mother.
Another thing that it doesn’t matter “what
side of the tracks” we come from in order to be bound into the family of God.
Jesus always hung out and ate with he “low life’s” of society. These people
were at the bottom of the rung, but Jesus brought them to the top of it. The
religious elite thought He was crazy…demon possessed even because of how He
thought more about the hurting than those who were the elite if society. He
constantly challenged their way of thinking while trying to show them a more excellent
way.
Being part of a family doesn’t always mean
being a blood relative. Sometimes we are united not by blood but are untied by
mission and heart. Sometimes our family looks more like a patchwork quilt than
anything else, but it is that patchwork that brings the beauty of each piece
that is stitched in. Jesus is calling us to stitch other patches in so that the
warmth of His love we share can be a warm hug from Him to a world that has
grown cold and distant.
You know…the more I think about it, we are
blood relatives. You see we are all bound together in and through the blood of
Jesus… In being such we have our brothers blood coursing through the veins of
our family. And that my dear brothers and sisters, is the family tie that binds
us with the other rag tag members…from Patten, to the ends of the earth.
AMEN…
All of my poems, photographs, and videos are copyrighted by Raymond A. Foss, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2018. All rights are reserved. Contact me at Ray Foss (raymondafoss@gmail.com) for usage. See all 47,100+ of my poems at www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.
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