31 Then Jesus’ mother and brothers arrived. Standing outside, they sent someone in to call him. 32 A crowd was sitting around him, and they told him, “Your mother and brothers are outside looking for you.” 33 “Who are my mother and my brothers?” he asked. 34 Then he looked at those seated in a circle around him and said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! 35 Whoever does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother.”

It was hard for the disciples to understand who Jesus was. It must have been even harder for his family – they had seen him growing up as the first-born son in their family. But he is also the first-born son of God’s family. Same for me: I’m a member of my immediate family, but I’m also a member of God’s family.

Clearly his physical family is worried about him, and want him to come back to them. Perhaps they remembered when Jesus had gone missing in Jerusalem (Luke 2:36-52). Jesus said “Didn’t you know that I must be in my Father’s house?” (which they didn’t understand then either) but he returned with them and was obedient. Being God’s son enhanced the relationship with his physical family. I should look for blessings to come to my physical family from me being God’s son too.

But Jesus’ place in God’s family is the most important. Obedience to his Heavenly father has to take priority.

It can be hard to step outside the safe and familiar to do what God asks. But by His side is the only really safe place.

It can be hard to let go, to trust our heavenly father to look after His family. It can be hard letting my wife go off to India on her Heavenly father’s business. It can be hard trusting my sons’ Heavenly father to speak to them when they won’t listen to me, to walk with them when they don’t want to walk with me. It can be hard, but He’s a much better head for our family than I could ever be.

Families require trust – all the more in God’s family.

Father, thank you that you are my father. I put my family in your hands. Please take them on adventures with you.

Written by David Cornell

13 Jesus went up on a mountainside and called to him those he wanted, and they came to him. 14 He appointed twelve that they might be with him and that he might send them out to preach 15 and to have authority to drive out demons. 16 These are the twelve he appointed: Simon (to whom he gave the name Peter), 17 James son of Zebedee and his brother John (to them he gave the name Boanerges, which means “sons of thunder”), 18 Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Zealot 19 and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.

Mark 3:13-19a

Mark gives us valuable insight into the ministry of Jesus in verses 7-12 – healing the sick and diseased and dealing with evil spirits. At the peak of his ministry, Jesus chose to create a ministry team.

V.13 tells us that Jesus went up on a mountainside and called to him those he wanted, and they came to him.   Although Mark does not mentioned prayer specifically, Luke records several significant occasions when critical decisions were made as Jesus conferred with his Father.

Two things stand out for me [1] That prayer was so important to Jesus’’ ministry; [2] That Jesus took the initiative in calling the 12 men he wanted.

Over three years these men went everywhere with him, they heard him teach, they watched him heal the sick, they observed his power over demons, they saw him perform miracles, they embraced his teaching and they were commissioned and sent out to enlarge his ministry. When they were filled with the power of the Spirit at Pentecost, they were equipped to continue Jesus’ ministry.

I need to be aware of Jesus’ pattern for ministry recorded here in Mark’s Gospel. To be effectively involved I need the calling [or invitation] of the Master for the task. We discover that calling as we spend time seeking the Father’s plans for our lives.

Lord, I thank you for Mark’s clear statement about the calling of the 12 apostles. Lord I know that when you want me to minister in your Name you will call me and equip me for that ministry.

Written by Keith Bennett

3 Another time Jesus went into the synagogue, and a man with a shriveled hand was there. 2 Some of them were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they watched him closely to see if he would heal him on the Sabbath. 3 Jesus said to the man with the shriveled hand, “Stand up in front of everyone.” 4 Then Jesus asked them, “Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?” But they remained silent. 5 He looked around at them in anger and, deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts, said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was completely restored. 6 Then the Pharisees went out and began to plot with the Herodians how they might kill Jesus.

Jesus challenged the Pharisees who thought that good deeds, such as healing, were forbidden on the Sabbath. As He questioned in verse 4, “…Is this a day to save life or to destroy it?” He tried to change their attitudes, however the Pharisees did not respond. Even though Jesus healed the man with the deformed hand, the hearts of the Pharisees remained hard and they continued to turn their backs on Him.

This passage provokes me to think about the times my heart is hard towards God – when do I miss the ‘attitude shift’ that He is directing me to? I don’t want to have a stubborn view like the Pharisees did, but want a softened heart that hears and responds to where Jesus is leading me.

God, Thank You that Your ways are perfect. Please soften my heart today, and show me how to live in a way that pleases You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Written by Laura Samperi

18 Now John’s disciples and the Pharisees were fasting. Some people came and asked Jesus, “How is it that John’s disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees are fasting, but yours are not?” 19 Jesus answered, “How can the guests of the bridegroom fast while he is with them? They cannot, so long as they have him with them. 20 But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them, and on that day they will fast. 21 “No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment. Otherwise, the new piece will pull away from the old, making the tear worse. 22 And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins.”

Here we read two different scenarios where Jesus is being questioned – why aren’t your disciples fasting (the way they’re supposed to) and why aren’t your disciples keeping the Sabbath (the way they are supposed to)? Jesus was ushering in a new way of following the Spirit rather than the law, and it was uncomfortable for the religious people of the day.

Sometimes we too can find ourselves (especially as we get older) wanting to do things the way that we have always done it in the past. Staying with what we know and with what we are comfortable with can feel like a safer option.

Following God’s Spirit involves being willing to do things His way and in new ways- not playing it “safe” by doing what we have always done.

Accepting challenges and change is a choice that we need to continually make if we are going to keep in step with Jesus. It’s my goal and dream live all the days of my life right to the very end as a person who is always willing to say yes to the new thing that the Holy Spirit is asking me to do.

I encourage you today to join me in asking God what is the “new thing” he is asking me (you) to do and being willing to say yes to Him!

Written by Shelley Witt

2 A few days later, when Jesus again entered Capernaum, the people heard that he had come home. 2 They gathered in such large numbers that there was no room left, not even outside the door, and he preached the word to them. 3 Some men came, bringing to him a paralyzed man, carried by four of them. 4 Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus by digging through it and then lowered the mat the man was lying on. 5 When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralyzed man, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” 6 Now some teachers of the law were sitting there, thinking to themselves, 7 “Why does this fellow talk like that? He’s blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?” 8 Immediately Jesus knew in his spirit that this was what they were thinking in their hearts, and he said to them, “Why are you thinking these things? 9 Which is easier: to say to this paralyzed man, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, take your mat and walk’? 10 But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So he said to the man, 11 “I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.” 12 He got up, took his mat and walked out in full view of them all. This amazed everyone and they praised God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this!”

In the course ‘Christianity Explained’ participants read this account in the first lesson to teach two truths about Jesus. First, Jesus has authority over severe sickness or disability. Second, Jesus has authority to forgive sins. Participation in the kingdom of God is permitted for all who are forgiven of their sin. You might say that is the passport into God’s country. Jesus declares himself fit to forgive and permit entrance into the Kingdom of God. Some of the Jews who are watching all this want to know what Jesus’ credentials are, how can he be authorised to do something that only God can do?

As proof of his credentials, Jesus brings a gift from his Kingdom, healing.

This scripture makes me so thankful to be forgiven. Here Jesus simply utters the words ‘your sins are forgiven’. A year or two from this incident Jesus would be paying the hefty price for not just this man’s sins, but the sins of humanity. This scripture also tells me that my forgiveness as permitted me into the Kingdom, a reality to be lived out now. I can and do bring gifts from this Kingdom to the world around me, they are testimony to the world that the Kingdom of God is real.

O Lord, teach me to be a Kingdom gift giver. Teach me to go beyond my personal resources and give gifts from the eternal and blessed storehouses of God!

Written by Andrew Mellor