June 9, 2024 Text: Mark 3:20-35
Dear Friends in Christ,
It was about 8 years ago at my Grandma Lueck’s funeral in Wisconsin. The family was standing around all waiting to go into the sanctuary. The Pastor asked if someone would like to say a prayer. I don’t remember exactly what I said but it was a little off the beaten path for the moment, because you see everyone standing there was LCMS. It included three Pastors, a parochial school principal, two church organists and various leaders in their churches. We were going to have to cast lots…maybe that is what I said! Anyway, my cousins gave me that look, what is this guy thinking. I tend to get that a lot. But there are no secrets, everyone knows who I am. Church family, you get that, right?
Today Jesus is going to be with his family. In a group setting. As family we tend to know each other the best. Do they know Him? Do they understand Him? Let’s sneak ourselves into this . . .
“FAMILY AFFAIR”
Our text begins with Jesus going home. Crowds are huge. These newly appointed disciples and Jesus couldn’t get anything to eat. The family goes to seize him and say, “he is out of his mind.” Why did they say this? We need a little context which Mark does not give, but Matthew does. Jesus had just healed a demon-possessed man. His family thought he was in league with the demons. They do not believe he is the Messiah, he must be crazy.
Does our family ever think we are “out of our mind.” Do they ever look at you, like my cousins looked at me? There are times we are out of our mind. We don’t think clearly. We do dumb things. We say things we shouldn’t. Our family knows most of our foibles and our weaknesses. If they don’t, God surely does. It is all a family affair. Being in a family is not all happy meals and campfire songs. It can be dark and dirty, emotional and confusing. Who can we thank for that? The first family. It’s there in your Old Testament. They disobeyed God. They were naked. They hid. They blamed. Families have been doing the same ever since.
The accusations don’t end there. Here’s comes his church family from Jerusalem. The place where the cross would play an important part in this family affair. “He’s possessed.” Jesus’ opponents could not deny his miracles, so they question their origin. They aren’t from God, they are from Satan. Well, that’s a big matzoh ball hanging out there.
Time for an answer. Satan cannot cast out Satan. If divided, a kingdom cannot stand. Then the family affair analogy, a house divided cannot stand. Do you think Jesus might be telling his family something? Quite an absurd charge, but if you don’t believe in Jesus as Messiah, you can pretty much accuse Him of anything.
The battle Jesus had with Satan occurred in a way no one saw coming. Jesus would bear our sin on the cross. God would condemn Jesus for your sins against immediate family, extended family, church family, the family of God. He suffered your eternal judgment. He utters, “it is finished” and your sin is gone. The resurrection proves Christ took away your sin and sets you right with God.
Christ can declare in our text, “all sins will be forgiven the children of man.” Christ’s promise defeats Satan. Satan is bound by Christ. Satan can no longer accuse you. His power is broken. You walk naked no longer in the garden. You are set free from his prison.
Because of Christ’s victory, you are no longer an outsider. When our boys were little, I would say to them, “I love you like you are my son.” They would say, “I am your son.” I would respond, “that’s what the blood test says.” God completed that family joke by giving the boys and I the same exact blood type.
God has made us family by blood and our genes. “Who are my mother and my brothers?” Jesus addresses those who thought he was out of his mind and who at this point do not believe in Him as Savior. Christ is not downplaying family ties and their importance. Earthly relations are crucial and help form who we are. But even more important is our relationship to God and His family of faith. This forms our eternal communion. All believers according to Ephesians are the household of God. We are the household of faith as Paul writes in Galatians. To Jesus this tie is supreme. We have to be careful to not place the earthly tie above the heavenly. I had the opportunity recently to be interviewed about one of our sons. It gave a chance to witness again, “He is not really my wife and I’s son, he belongs to God.”
That is the family affair we should all want. You and I belong to God. You have been set free from Satan. You are in the family of Christ the Savior. Nice to have you home.
Amen.