Family: Mark 3:20-21
The Christian worldview may cause people to think you’re strange. Jesus doesn’t call us to the path that makes the most money. Jesus doesn’t call us to the path that makes us the most popular. Jesus calls us to a path that glorifies God. Jesus calls us to a path that helps other people get into relationship with God. When people who want lots of money, fancy cars, big houses, expensive jewelry, clothing with the right label, and any other major sign of status stop and look at the typical Christian, it simply doesn’t make sense from a worldly perspective.
For example, take the verses for today. Jesus sends out the twelve and comes back down the mountain. Once more the crowds gather. So many pack around Jesus that he either doesn’t have enough time to eat or He doesn’t have enough space in which to eat. Either way, once more His life gets rather crowded.
Next, Jesus’ family shows up. They see the spectacle around Jesus. They listen to His teaching, they watch Him cast out demons, and they see Him do all the things that the crowd has observed. Jesus’ family draws an entirely different conclusion. Jesus’ own family thinks that He has gone nuts.
Don’t forget that these are the people who grew up with Jesus. Jesus may have been the oldest; after all, Jesus was born of a virgin. But Jesus had younger brothers and sisters. Jesus certainly had aunts and uncles. These were people who saw Jesus grow up, play, and do normal things. No doubt they saw Him apprentice in carpentry under his father. All of a sudden, this normal family member named Jesus turns away from doing carpentry to start talking about God. Jesus has left His job, seems to be shunning popularity, and seems more interested in helping people draw closer to God. No wonder Jesus’ family thought he was out of His mind!
They don’t understand what Jesus has made of His life. They don’t understand His shift in perspective. They don’t get how Jesus had ordered His life and the change in His priorities.
The truth is that the world doesn’t get it, either. The world promotes doing things different than Jesus. While Jesus is pursuing helping other people get into a relationship with God, the rest of the world is longing to obtain goals like power, riches, and fame. When we follow Jesus and start making choices that He would make, the world won’t understand us, either.
When we follow Jesus, our focus will change. Our habits will change. The way we talk will change. The way we act will change. The way we pick our friends will change. The people we hang out with will change. The Christian worldview may cause people to think you’re strange.
