4 differences that will determine the status quo or a new season

Jesus has just finished speaking to the crowds including the Pharisees who had accused him of blasphemy for delivering a blind and mute man from demonic possession. If that wasn’t difficult enough then here comes his family who with the help of Mark and Luke’s account want to bring Jesus into line. But let’s simply stay with Matthew’s record.

“While Jesus was still talking to the crowd, his mother and brothers stood outside, wanting to speak to him. Someone told him, ‘Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to you.’ He replied to him, ‘Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?’ Pointing to his disciples, he said, ‘Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.” (Matthew 12 v 46-50)

They stand outside and send someone in with a message for Jesus to basically come out to meet them. Before the scene closes Jesus invites all those in the house to be part of his family.

There is a family outside and a family inside.

3 differences

1. There is a difference between looking for Jesus and pursuing him.
2. There is a difference between waiting for Jesus to come to you and pushing through the crowd to be with him.
3. There is a difference between our move and God’s move. “We think it is a lot easier for you to come outside than we come inside.” Are we today desiring God to move upon us more than we desire to move towards Him in the obedience of gospel sharing? The next move is not God’s it is the Church’s, ours. God is waiting and so is our world.
4. There is a difference between gracious invitation and deserved entitlement. The invitation to become the mother and brothers of Jesus when biologically you already are was not a rebuke but grace. They invited Jesus on their terms but he invited them into a new relationship. The spirit of entitlement was as prevalent as today. Entitlement because of history, of family ties, qualifications, experience, work done, gifting and skill, the list goes on. Entitlement kills a surrendered heart. Jesus invitation was gracious. “Mary and my brothers you are invited to move from being in my biological family to my spiritual family.”

 What will happen next?

The same? Status quo? Or a new season of growth and change and the presence and power of God?

These 4 differences will lead to a surrendered heart which is the path away from everything remaining the same.