Mark 3:31-35 Who are my mother and my brothers?
Format for Your Devotions
Instructions: Do not read my example devotion until you have completed your own devotional time in the scriptures. Reading my thoughts first may limit your own understanding. Let the Holy Spirit speak to you alone before looking to see what anyone else has to say, whether it is me, a Bible commentary, or a friend. Let God speak to you before you let another person speak to you. I have provided a format, but modify it to fit your needs. For example, I usually combine my application and prayer together talking to God about the application to my own life. You can go through this devotion process mentally, speaking out loud, or in writing as you wish. Don’t worry if you are not following this process exactly. Sometimes, I add extra information and sometimes I emphasize one part more than others. However, you should always think about what you learn about God from this passage.
Step 1: Pray–Ask for the Holy Spirit’s guidance first of all and that God may reveal the lessons that He wants you to have that day. Request that God protect you from Satan’s distractions (and the devil will try to distract you whether it is pinching the baby or putting you to sleep). Ask to see God more clearly as you read and think about the passage.
Step 2: Read the passage–Read to get an overview of the information first. Then start looking at specific parts after the first reading. You may read a larger or smaller section than I have here because you do not have to follow my organization at all.
Step 3: Understand the passage–You can summarize, ask and answer your own questions about the passage, visualize the story, analyze the characters, and relate this passage to other scriptures and personal experiences.
Step 4: What does this reveal about God?–What do you learn about the Father, Son, and/or Holy Spirit from this passage?
Step 5: Apply this to your own life.
Step 6: Prayer
My Example Devotion: January 12, 2018, Mark 3:31-35
Note: In the devotion examples, I leave my questions and thought processes in the text because I am trying to demonstrate that a devotional time is a dialogue with God about what you are reading from His word. As such, any questions or ideas that you have should be explored by talking it out with God. These example devotions are not my attempts to teach you what the meaning of a particular scripture is. They are an attempt to teach you the process of devotions, which is a combination of prayer and Bible study where you explore ideas with God as you read His word.
Then his mother and his brothers arrived. Milling around outside, they sent for him, continually summoning him. A crowd was sitting around him. They told him, “Look! Your mother and your brothers are outside asking for you.” He answered them, “Who are my mother and my brothers?” Then looking at the people sitting around him, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.”
(Understanding the Verses) The brothers (at least two and maybe more) have brought their mother (or stepmother) there on a mission. The only reason for them to have brought Mary is because they know that they do not have the authority that Jesus will listen to. In another place, they also try to tell Jesus what to do. “So his brothers told him, “You should leave this place and go to Judea, so that your disciples can see the actions that you’re doing, since no one acts in secret if he wants to be known publicly. If you’re going to do these things, you should reveal yourself to the world!” Not even his brothers believed in him” (Joh 7:3-5). Thus, we see a pattern of Jesus’ brothers disbelief and trying to push Him into the wrong actions out of the wrong motives. Mary would have known that Jesus was not crazy and that He was doing His Father’s work. She had learned her lesson when Jesus was 12, and He had reinforced it at the wedding in Cana. However, in the Middle East of that time and even of today, grown sons can order their mother around.
The brothers probably had an idea that they would just waltz right in and start arguing with Jesus. They were confident that they not only had the right and duty to do what they were doing, but also had the privilege to treat their brother however they wanted. Some commentators say that these were his younger brothers because they think that the idea that they were stepbrothers is based on the idea of the eternally virgin Mary; however, I think those commentators are biased by their own culture which makes a large difference between step and blood mothers in the language. Most older cultures did not make a linguistic difference between mother and stepmother, or even between sister and sister-in-law. In fact, older women are called aunt, or mother, or grandmother in many traditional and ancient cultures. Thus, these would have been considered Jesus’ brothers regardless of whether they were Mary and Joseph’s sons or simply Joseph’s sons. The reason I lean toward the stepbrother scenario (besides EGW’s words) is because of the brothers’ actions and words. They act like they think that they have the right to tell Jesus what to do. Even in America, that is unusual for a younger sibling; however, in Middle Eastern culture, it is the norm that older brothers have the right to order younger brothers around. Growing up, Jesus probably did not challenge them when they ordered Him around, but went His own way when the Father told Him to do something. The brothers might not have noticed that He did not always obey them simply because they were not always around or because He was not defiant and argumentative. Also, Joseph would have been alive until after Jesus was 12, so He would have been a barrier between the brothers and Jesus.
It says “Milling around outside, they sent for him, continually summoning him” so He was inside a building and their was a crowd surrounding the building. I picture the brothers with Mary in tow continually moving around the crowd trying to force their way through and being pushed back by the crowd who refused to give up their place near Jesus. The brothers probably then got more and more frustrated resorting to claiming their family relationship to get in. The crowd probably didn’t believe them instead thinking that they were lying in order to get in. (Another reason to think that they were stepbrothers: they may have had no physical resemblance to Jesus.) Finally, word reached Jesus that they were there. Maybe, one of the newly minted disciples got the message and transferred it to Jesus. Maybe, Peter himself gave Jesus the message. In any case, I’m sure that the messenger was surprised by Jesus’ response. Other translations simply say that they were standing outside and calling to Him or that they sent Him a message.
(Revelation of God) I used to be uncomfortable with this verse because it seemed that Jesus was not only rudely disrespecting His family, but that He was also hurting and rejecting them. Now, I know that Jesus had reasons for when He did something that was apparently mean. In this case, I believe that the brothers were there to make trouble. I tie this in with the previous verses in Mark 3 “When his family heard about it, they went to restrain him, because they kept saying, “He’s out of his mind!” (Mar 3:21). I think this was their time to try to get Jesus to stop what He was doing. If Jesus had let them in and shown them the respect that His culture said was due to them, they would have caused a scene that would have interfered with the message that He was giving to the world. There was one goal that Jesus never let anything interfere with. That was doing His Father’s will. Thus, Jesus said the words that would avoid the problem while sending a message to His mother and brothers about who had top priority in His life.
“Then looking at the people sitting around him, he said, ‘Here are my mother and my brothers! Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.'” This is a promise that Paul repeats in Romans: “Consequently, brothers, we are not—with respect to human nature, that is—under an obligation to live according to human nature. For if you live according to human nature, you are going to die, but if by the Spirit you continually put to death the activities of the body, you will live. For all who are led by God’s Spirit are God’s children. For you have not received a spirit of slavery that leads you into fear again. Instead, you have received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are children, we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with the Messiah—if, in fact, we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.” (Rom 8:12-17)
(Application) Jesus says those that do God’s will are His family. Paul says that we who are led by the Spirit are God’s children. Paul calls these people co-heirs with the Messiah. They are stating the same family relationship. Jesus is not showing a rejection of family here. Instead, He is inviting us to be adopted into His family–to be His brother and sister sharing His Father’s love. He is inviting His listeners to be loved by His Father, just as He is loved–as a true son or daughter. This is why from the times of the very first church, believers referred to each other as brothers and sisters. When we forget that our fellow church members who are seeking to do God’s will are our family, our brothers and sisters, Satan can come in and defeat us. We may have differing opinions, but we must always realize that we have one Father and that we have the same Spirit living in us making us family.
(Prayer) Help me to always remember that You are my family and love me completely. Teach me to love my brothers and sisters in the church with Your love rather than a judgmental or conditional love that avoids those who differ in their beliefs and personalities. Teach my church to be a family of love.