JESUS' MOTHER AND BROTHERS

Luke 8:16-21

Key Verse: 8:21

"He replied, 'My mother and brothers are those who hear God's word and put it into practice.'"

            Jesus came into this world to reveal the secret of the kingdom of God. Like a farmer he sowed the seed of the kingdom of God to all people. People’s response to his word determines their future salvation. In the same way, it is critical how we respond to the word of Jesus. Today, Jesus tells another beautiful parable--the parable of the lamp on a stand. This parable tells us that we must have an absolute attitude toward the word of God and obey it. (16-18) While teaching, Jesus was told that his mother and brothers came to see him. Jesus did not go to see his family members. Instead he told the crowd who are his true mother and brothers. (19-21) I pray that we may become members of God's family by hearing God's word and putting it into practice. May God bless us to listen to the word of God carefully through this message.

PART I. CONSIDER CAREFULLY HOW YOU LISTEN (16-18)

            Read verse 16. "No one lights a lamp and hides it in a jar or puts it under a bed. Instead, he puts it on a stand, so that those who come in can see the light." This verse clarifies the purpose of a lamp on a stand. First of all, let me ask you where do you put your lamp? Of course, the answer is to put on a stand. If we put it under a bed or in a jar, we waste energy while the gas price is going up daily. Without the light we can not see anything and live in darkness. During the Hurricane Ivan, we lost the electricity for a while and suffered a lot. We thanked God for the light. The purpose of a lamp is to shine so that those who come in can see things through the lamp light. We must put a lamp on a stand. Here we learn three things.

First, Jesus’ teaching is light. Allegorically speaking, the lamp light is Jesus. In history, many great men were called "the light of the century." People call Albert Schweitzer "the light of the twentieth century." Why? Because he gave up his well-paying job as a doctor in Germany and went to Africa and dedicated his life to treat many sick people in African jungle. The Time magazine chooses “the man of the year” each year to select a man or woman who influenced the world most. But all human beings have limitations to be the true light. The people of Jesus' time thought that John the Baptist was the light of the world. But John the Baptist said that he himself was not the light: he came to witness to the true light. Maybe he was a candle light shined for a while. As John the Baptist witnessed to Jesus, Jesus is the true Light who shines on men groping in the darkness. Jesus is the rising Sun. (Luke 1:78-79) Jesus, the Messiah illuminates the path out of darkness into God’s way of peace. Jesus shows the way to the Father. God's purpose in sending Jesus is to reveal his love to all people of the world. At Jesus' presentation in the temple, Simeon described Jesus as "a light for revelation to the Gentiles..." (Lk 2:32). Jesus said in John 9:5, “While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” 
 
As the light of the world, Jesus makes the way of God available, and each person is to choose how to respond to it. Seeing the light means being open and responsive to God’s word. Jesus transforms people’s lives when they respond to his word. Jesus’ word gives life to all men who respond to his word. Jesus’ word has a life-giving power. In chapter 7:11-17 we saw a woman living in darkness, under the shadow of death. She was a widow whose only son had just died. She was full of sorrow and grief. Tears flowed from her cheeks like a river. When Jesus saw her, his heart went out to her and he said, "Don't cry." Jesus stopped the funeral procession and said to the dead person, "Young man, I say to you, get up!" The young man got up and began to speak. And Jesus gave him back to his mother. Jesus revealed his resurrection power. Death is not the end of everything. After death there is resurrection. Jesus' light drives out the darkness of death. Jesus' light also drives out the darkness of sin. At the end of chapter 7, a woman who had lived a sinful life came to Jesus. She was full of guilt and shame and fatalism, caught in the darkness of sin and its terrible consequences. She wept silently in the middle of the night due to her sinful life. But when she came to Jesus, Jesus accepted her broken and contrite heart in spite of the disapproval of the religious leaders. Then Jesus said to her, "Your sins are forgiven." Jesus made this declaration publicly. Jesus’ light shines to all people like the rain falls to all. When she responded to the light of Jesus, she was changed from a weeping woman to a woman of mission serving Jesus and his disciples sacrificially. As long as Jesus is with us, there is a life-changing work of God. 
 

Second, the right attitude toward the word of God. Look at verse 17. “For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be known or brought out into the open.” Jesus’ teaching reveals hidden things and exposes secrets. The lamp light is also analogous to the word of God. Psalm 119:105 says, "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path." The word of God is a roadmap for our life journey. It shows us the path to the life-gate. What should be our attitude toward the word of God? Verse 18a says, “Therefore consider carefully how you listen.” Verse 8b says, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” The word of God will bring out open what is hidden. We need to have a right attitude towards the word of God. We need to respond to the word of God with humble and learning minds. We need to consider carefully how we listen. The word of God is given us through Jesus. Then we must dig out God’s word deeply and apply it to our daily life. We think that that word is for someone else not for me because I am a good missionary. However, when we hear the word of God, we must consider carefully. Shep. Paul L. said in his testimony for a successful college life, “Listen to what the professor said and talk to the professor or T.A. to get a good grade.” He meant that students must consider carefully what the professor said. What is your attitude when you come to the SWS? Consider carefully how you listen. Hold the word of God after the service. Cain did not listen to the word of God carefully and became the first murderer. Noah listened to the word of God carefully and was saved with his family but other people ignored God’s word and were drowned.   Lot’s wife did not listen to the word of God carefully. Genesis 19:17b says, “Don’t look back, and don’t stop anywhere in the plain!” But Genesis 19:26 says, “But Lot’s wife looked back, and she became a pillar of salt.” She did not consider the word of God carefully. As a result, she became a pillar of salt. Though God allowed her to escape the judgment of Sodom and Gomorrah, her wrong attitude towards the word of God inflicted God’s judgment on herself. Lot’s sons-in-laws who were pledged to marry considered God’s word as a joke. (Genesis 19:14) They were destroyed. 

When Jacob's sons were jealous of their brother Joseph, they sold him as a slave to Midianite traders, thinking they would never see him again (Gen 37:28). Then they lied to Jacob and tried to forget about it. But they could not forget what they had done, no matter how hard they tried. Later, when they were imprisoned, they felt it was God's punishment upon them for the sin committed twenty years earlier. It was only when they repented their sin and asked forgiveness from God and
from Joseph that they were set free from the terrible darkness.
 
     When the Israelites were beginning the conquest of the promised land, they experienced God's mighty power to break down the walls of Jericho and won a great victory. But the next time they fought they suffered a stinging defeat at the hands of the people of Ai. After their defeat, Joshua prayed. Then God revealed the reason for the defeat: there was sin in the camp. As the tribes came forward one by one, the perpetrator was revealed. He was Achan. He had taken a wedge of gold,
some silver and a Babylonian robe from the plunder of Jericho though God had specifically warned the Israelites not to do so. He thought no one would see or know about it. But God saw everything. God exposed his sin before the entire community of Israel. Then he was stoned to death, together with his sons and daughters. In Numbers 32:23a, Moses said,"...you may be sure that your sin will find you out."
 
     What shall we do then? We must let Jesus' light shine into our hearts. Jesus' light exposes our sins as God sees them. Jesus' light also drives out the darkness of sin completely. Jesus' light enables us to walk in the presence of God as his children. 1 John 1:7 says, "But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin." Writing deep testimonies allows us to consider the word of God carefully. It is easy to be busy-minded but it is essential to share testimonies to listen to the word of God carefully.  Moreover, we must discover God's holy mission in the light of his word. Mission is God's best blessing to mankind. It gives us utmost happiness and joy and absolute meaning of life. This mission lies hidden in God's heart. But when the light of his word comes to us, we can know God's holy mission for each of us. All who have received Jesus' light are called to let his light shine through their lives. 1 Peter 2:9 says, "But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light." When we praise Jesus for what he has done in us, we let his light shine into the dark world. We remember God’s amazing grace and serve God’s world mission purpose through our 1 to 1 Bible study.

Third, a fruitful life or an empty life. Look at verse 18b. "Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what he thinks he has will be taken from him." Finally, Jesus gives the warning to hear carefully. It emphasizes that to ignore God’s teaching is to lose whatever spiritual blessing we received. We will become empty and unfruitful like three heart soils. Let me ask you one question. Is unfruitfulness the problem of the soil or the problem of the seed? It is the problem of the soil. It is responsibility of the listener. We cannot spoon-feed each soil but each soil is responsible to respond to the word of God. Three soils fail but one soil succeeds. God has given each of us the potentiality of bearing fruit --thirty times, sixty times or a hundred times. Those who have an absolute attitude toward the word of God will bear much fruit. What's more, they will be pleasing to God, and their joy will be complete. (Jn. 15:11) On the other hand, those who have a poor attitude toward the word of God will remain childish and unfruitful, and what they thought they had will be taken away from them. This warning is given to the one who received one talent in the parable of the talents in Matthew 25:29, “For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him.” Two servants worked hard and doubled their talents but this man was lazy and did not do anything with one talent God gave him to use. He did it out of fear. As a result, he lost even what he had. Starbucks survived a fierce market competition by diversifying its products offering so many different kinds of coffees and globalizing its markets to China and other nations. The company upgraded their market strategy constantly and grew to become profitable. In the same way we have to grow spiritually through our personal Bible study and prayer life and Bible study with students. When we do so, God will enrich our spiritual life and reveal his secrets to us and we walk with him. Psalms 1:2-3 says, “But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season.” I pray that God may give us a new attitude to study the word of God carefully.

PART II JEUS’ MOTHER AND BROTHERS (19-21)

            The main point of this part is simple: crowds continue to gather around Jesus; his real family consists of those who respond to him by obeying God’s word. This teaching leaves the listener confronted with a choice? Will he or she be a member of Jesus’ family? The passage is a call to obey. 

One day Jesus' mother and brothers came to Jesus to talk about his basic family duty. To the Jewish psyche, family was most important. So the Jews rigidly stressed family unity and community relations. Probably Jesus' mother expected from Jesus at least a certain kind of apology, saying, "I'm sorry mother. I am busy with people." Probably his brothers expected him to come out and see them right away. Though Jesus was popular among people, they thought Jesus was involved in the ministry too much and he became extreme skipping meals. They wanted to take Jesus back home. But they were not even able to get near him. His family members had to stand in line and wait for their turn to see him come. Someone saw Jesus' mother and brothers waiting for him. He thought they should be given first priority. So he informed Jesus, saying, "Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to see you."

            How did Jesus reply? He said in verse 21, "My mother and brothers are those who hear God's word and put it into practice."  What he said sounded like excess frivolity, completely ignoring his family ties. But this was not the case. Jesus had great affection for his family, especially for his mother. At the time of his crucifixion, when he hung on the cross, he was in anguish and pain. Jesus saw that his mother was standing near the cross, weeping. When Jesus saw the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, "...Here is your son," and to the disciple, "Here is your mother." (Jn. 19:25-27) It meant, "You take care of my mother as your own mother." Jesus was deeply mindful of his mother. In the same way our family is important in our mission life. What then does it mean when he said, "My mother and brothers are those who hear God's word and put it into practice?" Jesus’ family is those who respond to his word. This verse tells us two requirements to be God's family members.

First, God's family members must hear his word. Those who hear the word of God are qualified to be the members of God's family. Why is it so? It is because only the word of God remains forever, and everything in the world, even the family members vanish someday one by one. Peter had once been a family man and his hope was to establish the earthly Messianic kingdom where he would live in glory and power. After Jesus' crucifixion, his spiritual eyes were opened and he said in 1 Peter 1:24,25, "All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord stands forever." I admit one common ground among us that we love to hear the word of God. We come to the meetings to hear the word of God. It is essential for us to hear the word of God to become the members of Jesus’ family

Second, God's family members must practice his word. Look at verse 21 again. "He replied, 'My mother and brothers are those who hear God's word and put it into practice.'" What does it mean to put it into practice? Precisely, it means "to obey the word of God." Human beings are always at a crossroads: to follow his selfish desire or to follow God's word. Many people say, "I want to obey the word of God." Some say, "I want to suffer loss for campus mission." But when they really have to practice his word, overcoming their self-centered desire, they tremble at God's word and become offensive and self-righteous. They began to complain and slowly abandon God’s holy mission. They become like a foolish man who built his house on sand. (Matt. 7:26) But God used those who put the word of God into practice. They are like a wise man who built his house on the rock by putting the word of God into practice. (Matt. 7:24) This means that we have to become examples of faith to our sheep in teaching and daily lives.

            There are so many people who are willing to obey the word and live accordingly. But it is not easy to obey the word of God because it is costly. So many people drop their mission life when they are challenged to sacrifice their time and life. Here our obedience is a key to become Jesus’ family. Jesus foresaw the global community of Christians through those who hear the word of God and put it into practice. God blessed us to form loving community of believers through our obedience to Jesus. When we obeyed Jesus’ word, he blessed us to have many brothers and sisters and mothers and fathers. What a blessing we have as the members of Jesus’ family! Jesus said in Mark 10:29-30, “I tell you the truth, ‘Jesus replied, ‘no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age (homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields- and with them, persecutions) and in the age to come, eternal life.’” Jesus established eternal family when we obeyed his word. Our earthly family relationship is temporary but Jesus’ family relationship is eternal because we will live in heaven forever later and we are attached to the same Head, Jesus Christ. When we obey Jesus’ word, he will give us more family members as much as a hundred times. Wow! David B. has no brother but God blessed him to have so many brothers like Bruce H. When Tommy left home, M. James accepted him to his home and treated him like one of his sons. M. Sarah treats Lawson and Mike like her sons packing food for them. Four brothers live together in the prayer house and love each other as brothers in Christ. In my early days of pioneering, I felt sorry that I could not spend a lot of time with my children due to my multiple crosses. Babysitting was always a big problem.  All American shepherds are my families. Whenever they need me, they are my first priorities. Though I did not spend a lot of time with my children, they saw my faith in God and my obedience to the word of Jesus. They learned how to obey the word of God through my obedience to God. M. Abe obeyed Jesus’ world mission command after graduation. God blessed him not only establishing a house church but also passing his BAR exam. I am happy to give them spiritual heritage of obeying God’s word at any cost. Now they are following my example serving the world mission.

             Jesus is the best example of this. He proclaimed, practiced and obeyed God's word unto death, death on a cross. Thus Jesus showed us a life-giving example of how to have an absolute attitude toward the word of God. Let's read the key verse, 21, again. "He replied 'My mother and brothers are those who hear God's word and put it into practice.'" May God help you have an absolute attitude toward God's word and grow in the word of God by listen to the word of carefully.