The Will of the Father

DEVOTION

THE GOSPEL OF MARK

THE WILL OF THE FATHER

Mark 3:31-35

31 Then Jesus' mother and brothers arrived. Standing outside, they sent someone in to call him. 32 A crowd was sitting around him, and they told him, "Your mother and brothers are outside looking for you." 33 "Who are my mother and my brothers?" he asked. 34 Then he looked at those seated in a circle around him and said, "Here are my mother and my brothers! 35 Whoever does God's will is my brother and sister and mother." 

NIV

Was Jesus disrespecting his own mother? This is the conclusion of the narrative regarding everyone, including his family, thinking he was out of his mind and they were coming to take charge of him. His mother was concerned about her son. But now that she is here along with her other sons, Jesus takes the occasion to teach another truth. Surely he was not trying to be disrespectful to his mother; we know he loved her dearly as on the cross he made sure she would be cared for by John. This lesson is about his relationship with all of us that are doing the will of God. With God being the Father all of us are his children. We are all brothers and sister of Jesus, co-heirs to the estate of the Father. It is true that Jesus is the firstborn and due all of the inheritance as his birthright. But as we are told in the letter to the Romans that Jesus is the firstborn of many brothers, which is everyone who does the will of the Father. So then we must conclude in order to be considered a brother of Christ we must do the will of the Father. This is where we all get into trouble as we must come to terms with what is the will of the Father. It may be too many Christians are concerned about that check lists of do’s and don’ts as being the will of the Father. It may be that many Christians are thinking their area of service is doing the will of the Father. But neither of those, nor do any other human activity qualify us to be brothers and sisters of Christ. If he was the firstborn of many, then we must be born into the family of God in order to be a member of that family. Jesus, himself, said that we must be born again. That and that alone is what qualify us to be called brothers and sisters of Jesus. The will of the Father is that we are born again into his family becoming joint-heirs with Jesus, inheriting all the Father has. Jesus was also making sure his mother and earthly bothers heard this so that they too might be saved from perishing. His message is clear, and without confusion. In order to enter the Kingdom of God we must be born again. That is doing the will of the Father.