For Sunday, June 7, 2015 – Mark 3:20-35
What a predicament Jesus is in. From all directions he is being doubted, tested, misunderstood. “He has gone out of his mind,” people are saying. Even his family comes, hoping to restrain him. So in case you have ever wondered if Jesus knows how it feels when things fall apart, when the work you are trying to do and the people you are trying to serve and the foundations upon which you stand start to shake and collapse around you, he knows. When words of appreciation don’t come but words of accusation do, when you feel misinterpreted and misunderstood, Jesus knows.
If following Jesus is going to be anything like being Jesus, then the question is not, will trouble come; no, the only question is this: To whom shall we turn when it does? At this juncture in his ministry, Jesus is facing multiple crises of relationship. He is being pressured hourly—by endless crowds seeking his healing touch; by religious teachers who analyze and theorize, wanting proof of his authority; even by his blood family, who grow increasingly concerned about his health and stability. Jesus does not try to dispel the disruptions; he does not try to prove himself a hero against them. He simply pronounces his rightful place in the new family God is giving for the work now at hand.
For any of us, it is an exceptionally low moment when others conclude that we are, in significant ways, not one of them. Maybe we too have been called “out of our mind,” dangerous, a divider instead of a unifier. Jesus knows. He knows how lonely and difficult the journey can be. He knows how tempting it is to seek validation from people and systems that have long shown they do not ‘get’ us. Here we are reminded that we do not need to prove ourselves. We are not orphans in the storm. We have another family to whom we can turn, comprised of “whoever does the will of God.” These are the ones who will be for us a refuge of hope and understanding. Even when things fall apart, we have a family God chooses—seekers, misfits, outcasts, tossed-ins. Whether willingly or reluctantly, we belong. We are not alone.
