Skip to main content

Lent Devotional Day 14

Lent Devotional March 18, 20

Mark 3:19b-35

19b Then he went home;
20 and the crowd came together again, so that they could not even eat.
21 When his family heard it, they went out to restrain him, for people were saying, "He has gone out of his mind."
22 And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem said, "He has Beelzebul, and by the ruler of the demons he casts out demons."
23 And he called them to him, and spoke 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 his end has come.
27 But no one can enter a strong man's house and plunder his property without first tying up the strong man; then indeed the house can be plundered.
28 "Truly I tell you, people will be forgiven for their sins and whatever blasphemies they utter;
29 but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit can never have forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin" - 30 for they had said, "He has an unclean spirit."
31 Then his mother and his brothers came; and standing outside, they sent to him and called him.
32 A crowd was sitting around him; and they said to him, "Your mother and your brothers and sisters are outside, asking for you."
33 And he replied, "Who are my mother and my brothers?"
34 And looking at those who sat around him, he said, "Here are my mother and my brothers!
35 Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother."

DEVOTIONAL
“Then he went home.” This phrase comes immediately after the words “Judas Iscariot who betrayed him” and shortly before the words “He has gone out of his mind.”

Jesus went home.

Jesus had fled to the sea to escape crushing crowds, he had appointed his followers, one of whom would betray him, and he returns home. But when he gets there, people question his sanity, and his own family tries to restrain him.

It’s at this point that Jesus again turns everything upside down. He doesn’t shrink his concept of family or trust; he expands it. After the foreshadowing of Judas’ betrayal, and a betrayal of sorts from his own family, we might expect Jesus to tighten his circle, but instead he does the opposite, opening it to “whoever does the will of God.” Looking around him, he proclaims, “here are my mother and my brothers.”

Message provided by the Miller Summer Youth Institute.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Celebration Of Life

Looking back over my life I can honestly say I did good shoot, I did better than good. Loosing my mother at 16 and me being a teenage mother I didn't crumble, crash and burn. Oh I did a zig when I should have made that zag. I believed too many lies and did not pay attention to the sirens warning me to run for the hills. I have made plenty of mistakes and many I wish I could go back and reverse, but God knew the plans he had for me because His word says that our steps are ordered. I have learned a lot about the psychological makeup of people including myself and that is why nothing surprises me anymore. I am not easily tricked up even though I may act like I don't see it, I do. I expect nothing and appreciate everything. Though I may be different, I celebrate my different because it and God has saved my life.  Bad choices and learned lessons. At 52 there are things that no longer matter as they did when I was young and impressionable. Looking back, all I can say is tha...

I Won't Complain

After a few work days of buses not showing up for their scheduled stops, me getting home close to 2 hours later than normal,  and no good sleep I'm reminded still, how good God is. Even the periodic snaps of depression and anxiety haven't caused me to forget how good God is. The key is encouraging myself because all storms pass. It amazes me to see so many people unaware of the true effects of mental illness. They tell you, get over it. They are the ones who have no debilitating physical or educational knowledge of the struggles. They don't understand the fight everyday to remain in a visual normal state of mind with tending to the tasks requiring your presence. They can't understand why you cry for no apparent reason. Unaware that some wish to lay down at any given time to sleep hoping to never awake again. Unaware that at any moment a fuse can blow in ones mind and all hell can be unleashed. Unaware that they may see beauty or bronze, while a depressive is seeing...

Stop Hiding Your Flaws part 2

In my last post, I talked about our flaws and why we shouldn't hide them. When I say flaw, I do not mean to insinuate worthlessness. No, I am pointing out that what others may see as a flaw, God created as a masterpiece, unique and particular. Yes, everything about you is unique and that is why I express the importance of not hiding. The definition of a flaw: a mark, fault, or other imperfection that mars a substance or object. Our lives are filled with many flaws. Unable to give birth,  unable to read or write, unable to drive a motor vehicle.  Deeper flaws of the physical and emotional are disfigurement,  physical disability,  missing limbs., mental illness.  These are all unique. Why do I say unique?  Because each of the above mentioned is an open door to revealing much more than the flaw itself. It is an opportunity to share and enlighten someone who needs to hear your story and see the winner before them. Courageous. Not defeated or defective...