Mark 3:20-35
20 Then he went home, and the crowd gathered again, so that they could not even eat. 21 And when his family heard it, they went out to seize him, for they were saying, “He is out of his mind.”
22 And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem were saying, “He is possessed by Beelzebul,” and “by the prince of demons he casts out the demons.” 23 And he called them to him and said to them in parables, “How can Satan cast out Satan? 24 If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. 25 And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. 26 And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand, but is coming to an end. 27 But no one can enter a strong man's house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man. Then indeed he may plunder his house.
28 “Truly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the children of man, and whatever blasphemies they utter, 29 but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin”— 30 for they were saying, “He has an unclean spirit.”
31 And his mother and his brothers came, and standing outside they sent to him and called him. 32 And a crowd was sitting around him, and they said to him, “Your mother and your brothers are outside, seeking you.” 33 And he answered them, “Who are my mother and my brothers?” 34 And looking about at those who sat around him, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! 35 For whoever does the will of God, he is my brother and sister and mother.”
Reflection
Strong opposition comes from Jesus’ natural family (Mark 3:20–21, 31–35) and from the spiritual leadership of Israel (vv. 22–30). Both parties pursue their own interests; they do not acknowledge the purposes of God that are being accomplished through Jesus.
Jesus never calls his followers to sever ties with their natural families (as do some cults and sectarian movements). He does, however, challenge each follower to prioritize Christ above natural family relationships. Christ’s purposes must outweigh all other loyalties. This requires a sober evaluation of loyalties toward our natural families. While honoring parents is very important, it is not ultimate (see Mark 7:10–13 with 10:29–31). Having been delivered by Christ in a work of sheer grace, our fundamental loyalty is to him. In the end, our personal devotion to God and his purposes will prove to be the most loving choice we can make for our natural families, even if they resist our decisions (see Acts 1:14; 1 Cor. 7:12–16; Eph. 5:22–33; 1 Pet. 3:1–2).
1 Corinthians 16:12-18
12 Now concerning our brother Apollos, I strongly urged him to visit you with the other brothers, but it was not at all his will to come now. He will come when he has opportunity.
13 Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. 14 Let all that you do be done in love.
15 Now I urge you, brothers—you know that the household of Stephanas were the first converts in Achaia, and that they have devoted themselves to the service of the saints— 16 be subject to such as these, and to every fellow worker and laborer. 17 I rejoice at the coming of Stephanas and Fortunatus and Achaicus, because they have made up for your absence, 18 for they refreshed my spirit as well as yours. Give recognition to such men.
Reflection
In 1 Corinthians 16:13, Paul calls believers to be courageous and strong. The psalmist says the same thing when he tells Israel to “wait for the Lord” for strength (Ps. 27:14; 130:5). As God strengthened his people in ancient times, he now enables Christians to “stand firm in the faith” (1 Cor. 16:13). In verse 14, we see that this courage goes hand in hand with loving relationships. Even here we may detect the power of Christ’s cross, where courage and love drove Jesus to boldly give his life for us.
Psalm 27:14
14 Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!
Our ability to love others is fueled when we consider Christ’s love for us. You will find strength to love both your friends and enemies by spending time in prayer considering Christ and his promises in the Bible.