Today's Reading: Mark 3: 31-35
**For a simple and good way of Daily Devotion method please click this link: Subject Shifting Devotion.pdf.
Please click this link to read Mark 3: 31-35
Bible Study
Last chapter talks about Jesus was eagerly doing His ministries without eating. Some of His family members wanted to pull Him out but Jesus did not listen. So, some of his family members went to Nazareth to get Jesus mother and his brothers trying to take Jesus away. Because they thought Jesus was behaving in such an outrageous way to bring dishonour to the family name.
When they came, Jesus made the situation worst. What He said would never be accepted by the Israelites as they had very close family tie. N. T. Wright gives us a very good answer again to this situation: "God is doing the unthinkable: he is starting a new family, a new holy people, and is doing so without regard for ordinary human family bonds. How easy it is to slide back again into a sense of belonging of group identity, that comes from something other than loyalty to Jesus. The call to be 'around' Jesus, to listen to him, even if 'those outside' think us crazy, is what matters. Mark has here set up a picture of 'those inside' and 'those outside'. The gospel, and allegiance to Jesus, produce a division, often an unexpected and unwelcome one, in every group or society where they make their way. Mark's call to his readers then and now is to stick with Jesus whatever the cost."
Wow, what an important catch from N.T. Wright, "to stick with Jesus whatever the cost."
How are you trying your best to stick with Jesus whatever the cost?
Have a time to be still and give the Holy Spirit space to speak through the passage of scripture we have just read. Offer this time up to God as you listen to him, while listening to "Gabriel's Oboe"
My Spiritual Journal
What I heard from Jesus today is: Who's My Family? 誰是至親?
To stick with Jesus whatever the cost! The cost is so high and yet it the only way for us to follow Jesus as our Lord! It's so painful that all our family members are in Hong Kong and we really cannot see each others very often. Once every year is the most and even so just around 10 days! The cost is so high and we miss all of them!
And Jesus prepares us to have a group of very close brothers and sisters around us that we are all being called to stick with Jesus. No so as N.T. Wright says whatever the cost. But, today I think and re-think again of today's verses and N.T. Wright's message - stick with Jesus whatever the cost. I think this is the cost we have to pay. This is the cost of discipleship as described by Dietrich Bonhoeffer (February 4, 1906 – April 9, 1945), a famous German theologian and a faithful disciple of Christ who were executed by Hitler just a few days before the end of the Second World War.
Dear Lord Jesus,
Help us to know who are those family members you prepare for us. Prepare our hearts that we can stick to you whatever the cost. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.
Chinese praise song - 这一生最美的祝福 The Most Wonderful Blessing of My Life
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