Family ... mine, yours, ours.

10 . 26 . 11

Mark 3

Today, if you read this section, you’ll read through Jesus’ direct defiance of the pharisees... You'll read of Him being crowded out and touched all over by all sorts of diseased folk... His beautiful, spirit soaked appointing of the twelve apostles... Him being accused of having an evil spirit by which he drove out evil spirits, and then Him going on this beautiful rant about spiritual warfare... “whoever blasphemes against the holy spirit will never be forgiven; he is guilty of an eternal sin.” ... I learn from reading this last section the importance of not allowing appearances blind me from experiencing the beauty of a persons spirit within. Lots to say here.. but i move on from these beautiful chunks to focus more on the next...

The end of chapter three was especially sharp for me. It talks about family, and gives us a new family under God. Beautiful, but kinda tough.. mostly beautiful though. Jesus says in response to a question about his mother and brother... “‘who are my mother and my borther?’ he asked. Then he looked at those seated in a circle around him and said, ‘here are my mother and my brothers! Whoever does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother.’” (3:33) It's interesting he doesn't say father... mt23:9 tells us who Jesus says we are to call 'father'.. in God's family, all other men are brothers, even your earthly father. God is father.

A week or so ago I went to dinner at my uncle’s house to share a meal made by my cousin, enjoyed by all including my aunt and their three beautiful children... my cousins. I would be lying if I said that these familial ties haven’t suffered strain over the years, strain which has caused pain, a lot of pain, on both ends... But I would also be lying if I didn’t acknowledge that it was one of the most enjoyable meals I’ve had in a very long time.

Driving home, I was struck, and brought to a very sad place at the separateness of families these days. Now I won’t go into what I believe the reasons for this degradation to be, (here at least, I would LOOVE to talk about it whenever) but I will share of the condition of my heart that night.

Adrift among the sadness was a beautiful image of what I imagined family to look like in a perfect, loving environment. Now I know some people hate their family members, duh... but imagine this image being free from those ‘things’ that bring pain, a place where the the spirit over all members. A picture that is maybe more realistic when experienced in a dream state, but a picture none the less of a tight knit family, a clan, a loyalty, a nearness... We’ve become distanced. And reader (you), let me tell ya i’m as guilty as any for placing ‘distance’.. :/

So driving along after this dinner, I became really sad. Then I was given hope because in my heart was somewhere buried a rememberance of this scripture... and I saw the beauty of our trueee family, those who do God’s will... those with good spirits... this is our family Jesus says. Our clan. Where we feel warm, invited, understood, welcomed, trusted, and loved... of whom we make warm, invite, seek to understand, feel welcome, trust and love because the spirit of God is in them.

What a gift for me on this drive that this realization came after painting the ideal picture of what God intended family to look like... because then He tells me.. “this ideal family, you have that in me”... “that picture you imagined, luke, in my kingdom, that picture is reality.. on earth as it is in heaven... in my family... my clan”

I think it’s important that those in His family are those who “do God’s will”, and are not simply believers, or even broader... “Christians” (oooohhh).

Those who do God’s will.

Man, the fat sort of rises to the top on this one, no?

Thessalonians lays out what “god’s will” is for all men pretty well... in chapter 4 verses 3-12 (read it here), Paul says that we should live sanctified lives... having control of the spirit over the flesh, being true to our neighbor, not living in passionate lust or webs of deceit... like so many (guilty as charged :/) are guilty of. He calls those who follow God's will to live quiet lives, working with their hands, winning the respect of outsiders and not being dependent on anyone.

Then in chapter 5 he tells us that those living into God’s will will be “joyful always, praying continually; always giving thanks in all circumstances (good and bad).”

Who just popped in your head? I’ve more than a couple friends close to me, from foreign cultures also, who have spirits that fall within this line. Their spirits bring life... their life oozes joy... their joy in faith will be made complete in eternity with their maker.

These verses give us insight into the spirit of our family... “those who do God’s will”, and what we as members of that family are responsible to.

My car ride mostly over at this point, I pulled into my destination with a heart of thanksgiving. Thanks for my beautiful family here on earth despite our separateness, as well as my many brothers sisters, aunts & uncles, moms (not fathers) and grands all over the world whose spirits are ones that in the midst of their diverse cultural background, do the will of God, through earthly suffering, with joy. I’ve felt warm, invited, welcomed, trusted and loved under many roofs... shingled roofs, cardboard roofs, many roofs...

Who doesn’t want to be in this family?

Well... I think thats a good place to wrap er up...

Be well friends.