Scripture Reading Mark
3:20-35
Then Jesus
entered a house, and again a crowd gathered, so that he and his disciples
were not even able to eat.
When his family
heard about this, they went to take charge of him, for they said, “He is out of
his mind.”
And the teachers
of the law who came down from Jerusalem said, “He is possessed by
Beelzebul! By the prince of demons he is driving out demons.”
So Jesus called
them over to him and began to speak to them in parables: “How can
Satan drive out Satan?
If a kingdom is
divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.
If a house is
divided against itself, that house cannot stand.
And if Satan
opposes himself and is divided, he cannot stand; his end has come.
In fact, no one
can enter a strong man’s house without first tying him up. Then he can plunder
the strong man’s house.
Truly I tell
you, people can be forgiven all their sins and every slander they utter,
but whoever
blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; they are guilty of
an eternal sin.”
He said this because
they were saying, “He has an impure spirit.”
Then Jesus’
mother and brothers arrived. Standing outside, they sent someone in to
call him.
A crowd was
sitting around him, and they told him, “Your mother and brothers are outside
looking for you.”
“Who are my
mother and my brothers?” 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.”
Here ends this reading of the word of God for the people of God. Thanks be to God. Amen.
Prayer for Understanding
Loving God, our souls wait for you, more than those who watch for the morning. Send your Spirit upon us as your Word is read and interpreted, so that we will hear your voice and know the way of truth and love through Christ, the Living Word. Amen.
Message God’s
Will
On
July 4, in 1776, one of the most important documents in American history was
signed. In a concise and clear statement,
Thomas Jefferson concluded the Declaration of Independence by penning:
"We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of
America, in General Congress,
Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our
intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these
Colonies, solemnly publish and declare,
That these united Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and
Independent States;
that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all
political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought
to be totally dissolved; …
When our country declared its independence from the British Crown,
there was not unity among the American people. One third of Americans remained
loyal citizens of Britain. Families were
divided. Husbands are wives did not always agree. Children did not always agree with their parents.
Brothers did not always agree with their brothers and sisters did not always
agree with their sisters. Neighbors
disagreed with neighbors. Some of these disagreements even resulted in neighbor
taking up arms against neighbor and brother taking up arms against brother.
Churches and religious authorities also disagreed over the
whether or not to separate from Britain.
American Presbyterians and Congregationalists tended to be supportive of
the cause for freedom. The Church of England was divided – their priests had to
take an oath of loyalty to the British king, which put American clergy in hot
water if they sided with the American cause. American Quakers split – some of the former
pacifists decided to take up arms against Great Britain. The German Reformed
churches supported the Revolutionary efforts and 20% of our ministers also
served as chaplains in the American army.
Yet one of our most well-known clergymen, John Joachim Zubly, opposed
the war despite his being a representative at the Second Continental Congress
in Philadelphia.
In this morning’s reading, Jesus was
being assaulted on all sides. A crowd gathered around him that was so large he
and the disciples couldn’t eat. Jesus’ family came to the house and tried to
seize him by saying he had lost his mind. A group of scribes and teachers came
to the town to listen to Jesus and they declared he was possessed by a
demon.
Jesus exclaimed:
If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot
stand.
If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot
stand.
We often hear
references to this statement. When the
United States broke away from Great Britain, Great Britain changed
immensely. When the Confederate States
tried to break away from the rest of the United States, it took years for our
country to recover. Family relationships struggle to recover when members of
the family are divided over important issues.
God doesn’t stay on the sidelines. When
Jesus’ family and the scribes and the crowds surrounded Jesus, he didn’t give
up or give in. Jesus didn’t say, “Oh,
yes, family, I have lost my mind. I am coming with you.” Jesus didn’t say, “Oh
right, scribes, I am just possessed by a demon, I will just remove myself and
stop helping people.”
Instead, Jesus said pointed out he
expelling demons from people. He healed people. Jesus channeled the power of
God into people and restored them to health. Satan doesn’t do this. Demons
don’t heal people. In order for Jesus to have the power to heal and expel evil,
he was authorized by God and filled with the Holy Spirit.
Jesus also stood up to his
biological family. Who knows the real reason why they were there….perhaps Jesus
embarrassed them….perhaps Jesus drew up-welcome attention to them….perhaps they
were fearful Jesus would be arrested and punished for upsetting the apple
cart….perhaps they were trying to protect Jesus from being put to death for his
teachings. Whatever it was, Jesus didn’t fold when his family came to take him
away. Instead, Jesus said everyone who listens to God and works to do God’s
will in the world was his family. In the revelations and teachings of Jesus,
God was creating a new family of followers. Everyone who believes in God and
works to follow God’s teachings is a child of God. We all become one another’s
chosen family when we commit to follow God and accept Jesus as our Lord and
Savior.
Today’s reading is a story of
resilience. Jesus was called to change the world, and he didn’t allow public
scrutiny, and religious leaders, and his family’s opinion stop him from doing
his work.
Sometimes we are tempted to avoid
our true calling as Christians because it would be easier to be “side-line’
people. We don’t always want to be the players out on the field, doing God’s
work in the world. But as Christians, we
are called to loosen the chains of injustice, to set the oppressed free, and to
break every yoke. We are called to share our food with the hungry and to
provide the homeless with shelter. We
are called to clothe the naked and to protect the weak and the vulnerable.
Jesus said: “Whoever does God’s will
is my brother and sister and mother.”
When we strive to do the work of God in the world, to care for the
people who are lost, vulnerable and hurting, to lift up the fallen and let go
of our own pride, then we will more fully live out the teachings of Jesus and
will be fully embraced as the Children of God.
Let us live out Jesus’ teachings
with love in our heart. Amen.
| https://diglib.library.vanderbilt.edu/act-imagelink.pl?RC=54917 |
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