Luke 8:19-21
"Then came to him his mother and his brethren, and could not come at him for the press. And it was told him by certain which said, Thy mother and thy brethren stand without, desiring to see thee. And he answered and said unto them, My mother and my brethren are these which hear the word of God, and do it," Luke 8:19-21.
Would Jesus' brethren really cast doubt on Who He really is? Turn to John 7:1-5. Jesus' own brethren mocked Him. Notice what they said in John 7:4, "If thou do these things, shew thyself to the world." Their view of Christ was worldly. They had their mind made up of how the Messiah would conduct Himself, and Jesus did not fit their mold. They used the word "if". Turn to Luke 23:35-39 and we see more people who used the word "if". Where did this doubt come from? Let us turn to Luke 4:1-13. We can trace this all the way back to Genesis 3 in the garden. The devil is the great doubter, and those who follow him are like him. "Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own; for he is a liar, and the father of it," John 8:44.
When you live for Jesus Christ and not this world, people will think you are crazy. They thought Jesus was crazy (Mark 3:20-22). Jesus's mother and brethren wanted to see Him because He was embarrassing them with what they would call radical Christianity. They wanted to stop Him. In their mind Jesus was no more than a carpenter. "And he went out from thence, and come into his own country; and his disciples followed him. And when the sabbath day was come, he began to teach in the synagogue: and many hearing him were astonished, saying, From whence hath this man these things? and what wisdom is this which is given unto him, that even such mighty works are wrought by his hands? Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joses, and of Juda, and Simon? and are not his sisters here with us? And they were offended at him. But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, but in his own country, and among his own kin, and in his own house. And he could there do no mighty work, save that he laid his hands upon a few sick folk, and healed them. And he marvelled because of their unbelief. And he went round about the villages, teaching," Mark 6:1-6. The Saviour they were looking for is not the One they were looking at. This is what happens when the Jesus you want is not the Jesus of Scripture. This is the end you come to when your expectations of the Saviour are not biblical.
Jesus makes a hard but clear distinction in Luke 8:21, "And he answered and said unto them, My mother and my brethren are these which hear the word of God, and do it." "Hear" in this verse means to hear, perceive with the ears, by implication to give heed to, to obey. You bring yourself under the authority of the Word of God. You block out all the chatter from the world, and you submit to Scripture. "Do" in this verse expresses action either as completed or continued. Both "hear" and "do" are in the present tense. Hearing and doing is what the Christian continually and repeatedly does, even in the midst of persecution and opposition. Even if that persecution and opposition comes from your own family. Those who are not living for the Lord will call you radical, but Christ simply says you are hearing and doing what you are supposed to be hearing and doing. Simply put, you are living the Christian life.
It would be nice if once the Lord saved us that we did not have to contend with our flesh or this world anymore, but that is not the case. That day is coming, but not until we are in our glorified bodies. If we were to be honest, we would have to say that all of us doubt from time to time. There are times that our flesh wins. We are fickle, but the Lord is faithful. We doubt, but He has never given us a reason to doubt Him. We may even withdraw for a time, but He never leaves us nor forsakes us. We may deny Him, as Peter did, but the Lord is faithful to call us back to Himself, and even use us for His glory. We must look at Jesus through the lens of Scripture. "Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me," John 5:39. "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God," Romans 12:1-2. "If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth," Colossians 3:1-2.
How often do we read these Scriptures and just glance over them because we have heard them so many times? We are to take up our cross and follow after Jesus. This is not radical Christianity, it is simply what every Christian should be doing. We often hold onto what we used to do for Christ. We dwell on what we used to do, we talk about what we used to do, but what are we doing for Christ today? What are we currently doing for He Who gave Himself a ransom for us? We can't live in the past. "And whatsoever ye do in word and deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him," Colossians 3:17. "And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men," Colossians 3:23.
Those who hear the word of God, do it. We are known by the fruits we continually produce. Has the Lord saved your soul? Does your life show it? If so, praise Him for His faithfulness, if not, look unto Jesus to forgive you of all your sins. "All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out," John 6:37.
Please send questions and comments to richardsonbaptistchurch@gmail.com. Soli Deo Gloria.
