This is a question Jesus asked. It’s recorded in Matthew 12:46-50 and Mark 3:31-35. Both are accounts of a time when Jesus was ministering to a crowd of people, and Jesus’ mother and His ‘brethren’ came and wanted to talk with Him. Jesus’ response was to ask, “Who is my mother, or my brethren?” Then He looked around at those who were sitting around Him, listening, and said, “Behold, my mother, and my brethren. For whosoever shall do the will of God is my brother, and my sister, and my mother.”
A few years ago, I was crying out to the Lord, to shine His light in me, and expose everything in my life or my thinking that wasn’t right, and purge out everything that didn’t come from Him. He took me to these scriptures and gave me a real hard correction.
He started by reminding me that James, who was referred to as one of the pillars of the church, in Galatians 2:9, was one of Jesus’ brothers (or natural half-brother). In Acts 15:12-13, and 21:17-18, it’s apparent that James had a position of leadership and authority. (Note that James, the brother of John, had already been martyred.)
So how did it happen that one of Jesus’ brothers, who according to John 7:1-10, did not believe in Him… become a pillar of the church? The first clue is in Acts 1:12-14. Listing those in the upper room, it gives the names of the apostles, and also “the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and His brethren”. When I followed that term, “his brethren”, I discovered that every place in the gospels that referred to Jesus’ brethren, it was distinct from his disciples. John 2:12 says, “After this he went down to Capernaum, he, and his mother, and his brethren, and his disciples: and they continued there not many days.”
Then I realized that James, Jesus’ brother, was in the upper room on the day of Pentecost. That’s when the Lord spoke to me, that His brother James became a pillar in the church, because Jesus did NOT cut him off for his unbelief, as I had thought we were supposed to cut off those who did not receive our doctrines and our ministry.
He said that those scriptures that I had used to justify cutting off family, were actually about respect of persons! The people there thought that Jesus should give special treatment, even interrupt His teaching, for special people… His natural family.
Luke 11:27-28 makes it clear, where it says a woman lifted up her voice, and said, “Blessed is the womb that bare thee, and the paps (breasts) which thou hast sucked.” He (Jesus) answered, “Yea rather, blessed are they that hear the Word of God, and keep it.”
Then God cut me open, by telling me that what I was doing in cutting people off, was really creating division in His body. It was sowing discord among brethren. It was a proud look. (Abominations, according to Proverbs 6:16-19) And it really broke me down, when He said I had made the heart of the righteous sad, whom He had not made sad. [See Ezekiel 13:22]
I can’t describe how devastated I felt in that moment! But now, it’s a moment that I cherish, because it changed me… forever! And possibly saved me from eternal hell. I have apologized to my parents, who were more righteous than I, through that time of pain that I caused. I thank God for giving me the opportunity to heal our relationship, and now to enjoy the most blessed fellowship we’ve ever had.
Can you see why I say so often, that I love correction? Can you understand why I’m not afraid to expose myself to God’s holy light? It’s HEALING! It’s DELIVERANCE! It’s FREEDOM! It’s LIFE!!!
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