F O O T H O L D
READING
11 PART OF THE FAMILY
PRAY Loving Father, help me
to listen to your word today.
READ Mark 3:2035
THINK What does this passage
teach about belonging to God's family?
Review your life at the
moment: will people know that you are a
member of God's family?
FOCUS JESUS AND HIS FAMILY (20,21,3135).
We very easily forget just how
Jesus must have appeared to
his family and friends. Had we been
there we might well have
joined the group who tried to 'save him
from himself' 'He's gone
mad' (21), they said, and that is
something that has been said
many times since, about men and women
who have given themselves
totally to the service of God.
But Jesus uses this incident
to explain something important about
his family. Verse 33 doesn't
mean that he was disrespectful
towards other members of his
family. What Jesus is saying is that
the important thing to do is
to do what God wants. He came to
bring a great new family
into being, consisting of all those who
come to God through him.
JESUS AND HIS ENEMY. Jesus
was not under Satan's control but
men and women everywhere
were. Jesus came to free them. But
before he could do that the
devil (the strong man) had to be
defeated. As Jesus freed
people rom the power of the devil he was
showing that he had defeated
him. Men and women are still under
the control of Satan,
although not always in such obvious ways.
Jesus still offers them
freedom, and membership of his family.
NOTE: Verse 30 explains
verse 29: a person who says that Jesus is
controlled by Satan cannot
be forgiven because they don't want to
be forgiven. Their eyes are
so tightly closed to the light that
for them light has become
darkness and good has become evil.
PRAY Thank you, Father, for
making me a member of your family. Please
help me to live as a member
of your family should.
