Are You, Jesus Family? Series

Mother’s Day 2012, who’s come along today to be with Mum? I know that there’s a few who’ve gone to other churches today to be with their Mum or Grandmother. Lovely really those families are able to celebrate together at times like this but then again for some Mother’s day can be a trial. Not really a crash hot day at all for some because Mother has gone to be with Jesus and for others because relationships could be strained, maybe Mum is geographically distant and you’d like to be with her. Step Mum's and aunties who are in the role of a mother, there's people who take the role of foster mum and some people who probably don't even know they are seen in the role of mum by someone. For solo Dads I like to celebrate the work you do on this day also being Dad and trying hard to fill both roles, and for solo Mum’s I would like to acknowledge the role you have filling both roles also.

In the Moffatt house growing up we didn’t celebrate Mother’s Day because my dear old Mum believed it was “a commercial rip off” and it was “an American Thing”. Mum knew what she knew and we didn’t go there, there was no arguing with Mum over Mother’s Day. I did send her a card this year however, it would be the first for years Her card that was of a yellow digger and designed for small boys. I wrote in it, that I dig her. She even rang to thank me; I guess that because of the design it didn’t fit into commercial rip off concerns.

Personally I like the idea of celebrating family daily as we join together, at meal times as we connect around the house, watching the moving picture box in the corner and at other times we are together. Whoever does the Mum role and does it well deserves a jolly good day on a day like this and every day.

Jesus had a Mum also and we know her name was Mary. Jesus came from a reasonably big family and we know the names of his brothers, they are listed in Marks gospel chapter six, verse three as James, Joseph, Judas and Simon. And in this verse his sisters are also mentioned. So Jesus came from a family of at least seven kids, we don’t know the exact number of sisters he had but as sisters are mentioned there must be at least two.

I would pick that Mary was a very worthy Mother we know by different accounts she was present with Jesus her eldest at various times during his ministry and at the time of His death.

Artists have depicted Jesus as an infant with his Mum as a child with his Mum as a young Rabbi on the road with his Mum and at the time of his death and resurrection with Mary also.

Now Jesus says something about his family that for some could be a bit of a shocker. Let’s have a look at 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.’”

Ah what? It looks here like Jesus is giving His family the brush off. But is he? Some even go as far as to say that what He is doing “seems to threaten the most important human institution”, The family! I don’t think he is!

What is that last verse about “Whoever does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother.”

For some who revere Mary as “The Mother of God” these words of Jesus might be a bit of a concern. I’m not going to knock what others believe. But try and give an understanding of where we sit with Jesus, as friends, as family when we do the will of God.

What is the will of God?

Well there are quite a number of statements in scripture that tell us what the will of God is; well initially we say to obey the commandments, then what?

These verses are about being in God’s will as believers;

1 Thessalonians 5:16-19 says “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit.”

Ceaseless prayer and thanksgiving in all situations is the will of God, cold happy, annoyed, car broken down, it’s about attitude, give thanks and continue talking with God. There’s a corny line someone came up with that says, “We should have an attitude of gratitude.”