“Another New Kind of Family"

Sermon-Proper 5-June 10, 2012 “Another New Kind of Family”
The Cloud of Unknowing, "O God, our great companion, lead us ever more deeply into the mystery of your life and ours, that we may be faithful interpreters of that Life to each other, through our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

“When his family heard it, they went out to restrain him, for people were saying, "He has gone out of his mind." Kate Huey writes: “The Marcan Jesus is on the move constantly, like a man on a mission with little time to spare and even less patience with people who like to criticize everything he does. We're only in the third chapter of Mark now, but a quick read of those first chapters is exhausting: Jesus has gone from his hometown to the wilderness to Galilee to the sea to Capernaum to a house to a deserted place and back out to the towns of Galilee (we're still in the first chapter) and then back to Capernaum and home, and then to the sea, and to Levi's house, through the grain fields and to the synagogue, and then back to the sea, into a boat, before heading up the mountain where he gathered those twelve apostles around him, and then, finally, he went home. Imagine all this travel with desperate crowds around him (people "from every quarter," 1:45), clinging to him, begging for healing, begging to be released from the demons that had hold of them, and then picture a group of carping critics picking at everything he did – breaking the rules about healing on the Sabbath, eating with tax collectors and sinners, and not fasting as they should.”

And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem said, "He has Beelzebul, and by the ruler of the demons he casts out demons."

Jesus’ family thinks he is not taking his medication. The scribes, the religious people, think he is possessed. Is he crazy? Is he filled with the devil? What’s wrong with Jesus?

And the “crowd”, the people who represent us, “was sitting around him; and they said to him, "Your mother and your brothers and sisters are outside, asking for you." What are you going to do, Jesus? You are acting strangely, being overwhelmed by people-are you losing it? Are you coming unhinged? Your family is worried about you-they want to take you home for a “rest”. And then Jesus says “Who are my mother and my brothers?" And looking at those who sat around him, he said, "Here are my mother and my brothers! Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother."

In the 1st century, people choosing to follow Jesus were sometimes turned in to the Roman authorities as traitors, or to the religious authorities as breaking the law. Christians were a danger and a threat. Frequently Christians weren’t trusted and were portrayed as undermining society. They felt oppressed and alone. And when they heard these words read to them by Jesus-they were comforted and strengthened. "Here are my mother and my brothers! Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother."

ABC has an ad that says their channel depicts “A New Kind of family”. Before there was ABC, there was Jesus. Christians in the first century, abandoned by their blood relatives, would look around at the people who were worshipping with them, sitting with them at the table, suffering with them, dying with them, and say-these are “my brother and sister and mother." There is a commercial on tv a lot right now for the new Dallas tv show. Evil JR looks at the screen and says, “Blood is thicker than water-and oil is thicker than blood”. And Jesus would say,” those who eat and pray and struggle and suffer and rejoice and live and die with you-those who do the will of God-is thicker than oil.”

Today we take a very brief moment to thank those who have assisted us in our worship over the last year. They have led us, lifted us, guided us, and served us. They have shown us what it is to be brothers and sisters. We are grateful for their ministry, and today we let them know that they are our sisters and brothers. We appreciate them and today we let them know that what they have done has helped our worship, and in a 1000 small way, strengthened our faith. As we call your name, could you please come forward.

Mark 3:20-35

And the crowd came together again, so that they could not even eat. When his family heard it, they went out to restrain him, for people were saying, "He has gone out of his mind." And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem said, "He has Beelzebul, and by the ruler of the demons he casts out demons." And he called them to him, and spoke to them in parables, "How can Satan cast out Satan? If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand, but his end has come. But no one can enter a strong man's house and plunder his property without first tying up the strong man; then indeed the house can be plundered.

"Truly I tell you, people will be forgiven for their sins and whatever blasphemies they utter; but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit can never have forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin" — for they had said, "He has an unclean spirit."

Then his mother and his brothers came; and standing outside, they sent to him and called him. A crowd was sitting around him; and they said to him, "Your mother and your brothers and sisters are outside, asking for you." And he replied, "Who are my mother and my brothers?" And looking at those who sat around him, he said, "Here are my mother and my brothers! Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother."