Jesus is no wimp. Chapter three begins with an event on the Sabbath. The ‘rules-first’ leaders were watching to see if Jesus was going to ‘break’ the religious code by doing a ‘work’ of healing. They are out to get him, to accuse him, but Jesus does not shy away from the conflict. He not only heals, but he confronts the hardness of the leaders. The next scene is different but equally intense. Here the crowds are crushing in upon him hoping to touch him and thereby be healed and when the unclean spirits of those demonized recognize Jesus they fall down declaring, “You are the Son of God”. Imagine the scene: the mob pressing, some collapsing, demonic voices. Jesus holds his ground and even warned the unclean spirits not to make known who he was. The text moves on. There is more ministry, intense ministry, no time to even eat. His enemies malign him, suggesting he casts out demons by the power of the prince of demons. His own family thinks he has gone mad. Jesus is not knocked off course. He is no wimp.
What brings it home to me is the last scene, where Jesus says, “Here are my mother and my brothers! For whoever does the will of God, he is my brother and sister and mother” (vv. 34-35). Jesus has been about his Father’s will. It has been intense. No place for the spineless. Those who likewise will be about the Father’s business, Jesus considers his ‘family’. I want to be numbered among them, but it is no place for wimps. Am I ready to do good, am I ready to confront hard hearts, am I ready to be spent in serving the crowd, am I ready to be misunderstood, even maligned?
I would love to hear your comments.
For other posts in the series click here.
Hi David,
Great post! You know what you want, to be numbered among Jesus’ family, to be about the Father’s business, Kingdom work. So do I. And then you ask the questions “am I ready?” Good questions. Tough questions. You say Jesus is no wimp. I’m pretty sure that there are many times (probably more than I care to admit) that I am. When I look at the passages, I ask myself what influence do the people around Jesus have on Him and his ministry. As you say, His response is that He is on track, no derailing Him. And then I ask myself what is the influence of the people around me to stay on task, to stay on the message, to go about Kingdom work with Christ? And then I look at my response. I don’t think my responses are the same as Jesus’. I’d like them to be, at least as close as I can as a man. When I look at your closing questions, how do I know when I’m ready? Will I ever know that I am ready? Two pieces of Scripture comfort me and guide me and challenge me. In Matt 10:19 Jesus says that when persecution comes “do not be anxious how you are to speak or what you are to say, for what you are to say will be given to you in that hour”. And in John 14:16 Jesus says “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever…” What role does action on my part have in this?
Craig, you raise some good questions. The texts that you shared made me re-think how I had expressed myself in this post. Now, I think it would be closer to the truth to ask something like, “Am I willing to be readied by God?”
Let’s see if others want to comment on the questions you raise.
Craig,
Let me add this verse to what I said above:
1Co 15:10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me.
I think this verse speaks to your question about what role does “action” play. Living out our faith is neither a passive pursuit nor a self-reliant one.
So true David. When I read that passage I was really challenged. What I appreciate about this study is that it is really causing me to think. To me, the last passage is saying by the grace of God that is with us, get busy!