We often wonder how Jesus’ family responded to his teaching. Mary had seen and heard the angels announcing his birth, and stood beside him while he died. However, Jesus was such a revolutionary that he blew everyone’s conception of who the Messiah was supposed to be. His family would have heard all of the negative comments, and it is thought by many that they were coming to straighten him up.
When his family calls for him, Jesus instead says that ‘Whoever does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother.’ I think that it is most important for us to understand what it takes to do God’s will. While Mark doesn’t give us much of a definition, this story is also contained in Matthew and Luke. However Luke’s account does not say ‘whoever does God’s will.’ Instead, in Luke 8:19-21, we are told ‘Whoever hears God’s word and puts it into practice . . .’
If we want to know what it means to follow God’s will, I believe that ‘hearing God’s word and putting it into practice’ would be a great definition. It means two things for us: First, we must constantly put ourselves in the way of God’s word. We cannot come to God’s word looking for the answers we want, but must instead come to God’s word looking for our hearts and minds to be molded. Secondly, it is not enough to hear God’s word. We must also be doers of God’s word. It isn’t enough to know our Bibles well. We must do everything we can to live out God’s word. How can you hear God’s word and put it into practice today?
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