STAYING CONNECTED (LUKE 8:19-21)
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After Doris’ recurrence of cancer She had a request from me, to take her out for a trip every week. It entails thinking of a place to go weekly, which was a challenge I did not relish. Along with the regular Hong Kong attractions like Repulse Bay, Tai O, Sai Kung, Stanley and Peak, we also went to Peng Chau, rode on the waterfront Ferris Wheel and visited the Hong Kong Science Museum and even bought a year’s membership to the museums.
Do you realize how hard it is to stay connected even when you live in the same house and even with all the gadgets in the world. Do your family members see each other and talk to one another evey day? Do you know what they’re doing, what’s on their mind and how they feel? My mother is in Singapore, my brother in Kuala Lumpur and my sister in Los Angeles. Every day for the ten days in Israel and Egypt tourists like me look for free wifi in the airport, our hotels, and tourist bus, to stay connected. Facebook, whatsApp and e-mail is no substitue for human touch, personal gathering and face-to-face encounters. In today’s passage Jesus was in Capernaum, and his family members in Nazareth.
What do you do if you want to show people you care for them, treasure them or think of them or miss them? In the same way, how do you show the Lord you love, trust and honor Him? Why must we stay close and current instead of cold and choking in our relationship with the Lord?
Spend the Time
19 Now Jesus’ mother and brothers came to see him, but they were not able to get near him because of the crowd. (Luke 8:19)
A new study done by the University of Hong Kong says that eating with one’s family increases one’s happiness quotient, and in contrast to the bleak picture often painted of the city’s future, Hongkongers are generally happy. The survey found those who ate and communicated more with their family, even if not face to face, reported higher levels of happiness. It asked 4,038 residents if they were happy and recorded an average score of 5.15 out of a maximum of 7. When asked if they felt their family were happy, the average score was 7.53 out of 10.
Professor Lam Tai-hing, chair professor of community medicine at the school, urged Hongkongers to eat and talk more with family, be it face to face or using technology. He pointed out that the poll found those who spent between 61 and 90 minutes communicating with family every day had the highest happiness scores compared with those who spent 60 minutes or less or more than 90 minutes doing so. Lam said many Hongkongers might have tight schedules and might not be able to have face-to-face conversations with their family, but even instant messaging and video calls were helpful. “Even if you have long working hours, you will have a break during which you can send instant messages to your family; or when you are stuck in a jam, you can have a video call with them,” he said.
(Hongkongers Not So Sad, May 11, 2017, South China Morning Post)
http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/2093961/hongkongers-are-generally-happy-survey-finds-and
The verb “came” (v 19, para-ginomai) does not mean just “come,” but “come near,” with the prefix “para,” from where we get the word parallel. Jesus’ family members in their visit to Jesus had the idea and intention to be nearby, beside or alongside Him. The last mention of Jesus’ mother, Mary, up to this point in Luke was all the way back to Luke 2 on their trip to Jerusalem. After the introduction to John the Baptist in chapter 3, Jesus was in the wilderness was in chapter 4 (4:1) and Galilee (4:114) before retuning to Nazareth, his hometown (Luke 4:16). In his hometown of Nazareth the listeners in the synagogue diminished him as “Joseph's son” (Luke 4:22), to which Jesus replied, “No prophet is in his own country.” (Luke 4:24) The locals were so angry at Jesus’ claim to be the Messiah of the nations that they attempted to throw Him from a hill (4;29). Since then Jesus’ headquarter was in Capernaum (Luke 4:31, 7:1, Matt 4:13). The distance From Capernaum to Nazareth is 40 miles. If an average person walks 3.1 miles per hour, according to Wikipedia, then the trail was close to 13 hours of walking. I can only walk two miles an hour with my bad knees, just as it would take longer for Mary, a lady, to get reach her destination, with rest in between and at night.
The second “get near/come” (v 19, sun-tugchano) is different from the first “come.” It is more than just physical, but personal. The preposition “sun” means with, joint or together, plus the verb “tugchano” (“come at”) is elsewhere translated as obtain (Luke 20:35), enjoy (Acts 24:2) and refresh (Acts 27:3). The verb “suntugchano” with the preposition “sun” or “together” means to devote or spend or cherish quality time together.
The context of Luke 8:4 tells readers there was not just a crowd, but a big crowd! Jesus’ mother and brothers came to Him at the height of His fame. The phrase “great multtiudes” begin after Jesus left Nazareth in chapter five (Luke 5:15) to chapter six and seven (6:17, 7:11), so we can imagine how close, crowded and cramped the place and people were. There was not much private talk or personal time with Jeus speaking and travelling non-stop.
See the Task
20 Someone told him, “Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to see you.” (Luke 8:20)
Several studies have found that time spent with friends and family makes a big difference to how happy we feel. Having friends and relatives to count on when having a hard time then that person would be healthier. Those who felt very loved and cared for, we predicted, would live the longest. Yet helping others top social relationships. An article suggests two hours per week or 100 hours per year is the optimal time we should dedicate to helping others in order to enrich our lives.
In The Happiness Advantage, Shawn Achor, he says this about helping others: “When researchers interviewed more than 150 people about their recent purchases, they found that money spent on activities--such as concerts and group dinners out--brought far more pleasure than material purchases like shoes, televisions, or expensive watches. Spending money on other people, called "prosocial spending," also boosts happiness.
The Journal of Happiness Studies published a study that explored this very topic:
“Participants recalled a previous purchase made for either themselves or someone else and then reported their happiness. Afterward, participants chose whether to spend a monetary windfall on themselves or someone else. Participants assigned to recall a purchase made for someone else reported feeling significantly happier immediately after this recollection; most importantly, the happier participants felt, the more likely they were to choose to spend a windfall on someone else in the near future..” (Jeff Haden, “10 Scientifically Proven Ways to Be Incredibly Happy”)
https://www.inc.com/jeff-haden/10-scientifically-proven-ways-to-be-incredibly-happy-wed.html
Did Jesus’ mother and brothers hear Jesus’ reply? Was he talking to them? Did they rebut Jesus? Jesus’ brothers were less than enthusiastic with him. John’s gospel says, None of His brothers believed in Him (John 7:5). The adverb “outside/without” (“exo”) is translated as out (Matt 5:13), away (Matt 13:48), forth (John 19:4) and outward (2 Cor 4:16). Jesus’ family members were outsiders, strangers and unknown, unsupportive of, unsympathetic to, untouched by, uninspired with and uninterested in Jesus’ work on saving and serving people.
Matthew’s gospel tells us that Jesus was talking to the people at the moment His mother and brother arrived (Matt 12:46). The verb “wanting” is translated as “will” in the Bible. It is more will than want, more demanding, determined than desirous, more insistent than invited.
Here are the more aggressive verbs acquanited with “people” in Luke:
- people sought him, and came unto him, and stayed him, that he should not depart from them. (Luke 4:42)
- people pressed upon him to hear the word of God (Luke 5:1)
- And the whole multitude sought to touch him (Luke 6:19)
- people that followed him (Luke 7:9)
- the people thronged him. (Luke 8:42)
What did Jesus’ family wanted from him?
Matt 12:47 Then one said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren stand without, desiring to speak with thee.
Mark 3:32 And the multitude sat about him, and they said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren without seek for thee.
Luke 8:20 And it was told him by certain which said, Thy mother and thy brethren stand without, desiring to see thee.
Mark’s gospel reveals why Jesus’ family was there. Mark 3:21 tells Jesus’ friends said, “He is beside himself,” and in Mark 31 the scribes said, “He hath an unclean spirit.” In the clearest text of Mark 3:32 “sat about” is imperfect mood (continually doing in the past) whereas “seek” is present tense indicative mood (continually doing in the present). Jesus was not insane, indifferent or insulting. He was involed in helping and healing others no matter how long the line, how late the day, and how laborous the effort. By the way there is no indication that Mary did not meet Jesus or talk to Him.
Stand the Test
21 He replied, “My mother and brothers are those who hear God’s word and put it into practice.” (Luke 8:21)
THINGS GOD WON'T ASK ON THAT DAY
1. God won't ask what kind of car you drove, He'll ask how many people you drove who didn't have transportation.
2. God won't ask the square footage of your house, He'll ask how many people you welcomed into your home.
3. God won't ask about the clothes you had in your closet, He'll ask how many you helped to clothe.
4. God won't ask what your highest salary was, He'll ask if you compromised your character to obtain it.
5. God won't ask what your job title was, He'll ask if you performed your job to the best of our ability.
6. God won't ask how many friends you had, He'll ask how many people to whom you were a friend.
7. God won't ask in what neighborhood you lived, He'll ask how you treated your neighbors.
8. God won't ask about the color of your skin, He'll ask about the content of your character.
Did Jesus’ mother and brothers hear Jesus’ reply? Was he talking to them? Did they rebut Jesus? A casual reader might think Jesus’ reply was meant for his mother and brothers and mean to them, but they were not around to hear what He said, so it was meant to comfort the disicples. It was inappropriate or or impolite. Jesus did not choose the dsiciples over his family. It was not a confrontation, a condemnation or a criticsm of His family, but Jesus’ comfort, commitment and covenant to his disciples. There was no indication either that Jesus sent his family away or refused to see them. John 2:12 recorded previously Jesus mother and his brothers traveled with him and his disciples to Capernaum.
Jesus sounded like he was harsh and hostile to his mother and brothers, but he was not. Instead of challenging and criticizing them, he was inviting them. Jesus was not excluding them, but including others. Instead of rejecting them, he was receiving others. It is not denying, demeaning and defying his family, but distinguishing, developing and dedicating defining designating others.
It was a golden opportunity for Jesus to pair the two families together. One a physical or biological, and the other a spiritual or a kingdom family. The head of the family is not a human parent but our Heavenly Father.
To do God’s will means to be a practicing, proven and purposeful disciple, not a private, passive or petentious believer. Previously in the chapter the verb “hear” (vv 8 2x, 10, 12, 13 , 14, 15, 18, 21) occurs nine times, but now to be followed by “do.”
Conclusion: To do God’s will is to allow God to reside in you and rule in you, rid your habits and right your ways. Are you willing to…
Listen to Him?
Learn from Him?
Live for Him?
Lean on Him?
Look like Him?
