Sharing Bread Mark 3:20-21

SHARING BREAD

²⁰ Then Jesus entered a house, and again a crowd gathered, so that he and his disciples were not even able to eat. ²¹ When his family heard about this, they went to take charge of him, for they said, "He is out of his mind."

Mark 3:20-21 (NIV)

To be sure, “wounds from a friend can be trusted” but it is certainly as true that insults from close relations can bite bitterly! The “sticks and stones ditty” stating “words won’t hurt” - we are so well grounded in - is far from reality.  Here our Lord’s “fam” – His nearest and dearest – those whom should have known Him best - dishes out verbiage which had to blister.  His kin bought into what others had espoused regarding Jesus’ zeal and reasoned He had gone mad.  Whether their intent was good or bad, their words still had to sting our Lord.  In seeking to humbly obey, our Lord’s actions were misconstrued by others – that is painful.  We should not be surprised when this happens to us as well.  

There appears to be quite the disconnect between our Lord’s relations and the following Proverbs.  At the very least these verses were not reverberating in their fleshly ears or different words would have been flowing from their tongues:

²³ A man finds joy in giving an apt reply--and how good is a timely word!  Prov 15:23 (NIV)

²⁴ Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones. Prov 16:24 (NIV)

The words of the Prophet Isaiah regarding the Suffering Servant come to mind – surely our Lord endured much undeserved insult and hardship while His feet walked this earth yet all the while leaning heavily on the help of His Father.  We are to do likewise:

⁶ I offered my back to those who beat me, my cheeks to those who pulled out my beard;
I did not hide my face from mocking and spitting. ⁷ Because the Sovereign LORD helps me, I will not be disgraced. Therefore have I set my face like flint, and I know I will not be put to shame.   Isaiah 50:6-7 (NIV)

We must be sober in our discernment of others as well – what call has God placed on another’s life that may appear askewed in our eyes?  I am reminded of the missionary Amy Carmichael’s words – the bottom line being we are to be confident, like she, that we are standing firm in the will of God mature and fully assured. That keeps us from scrutinizing others’ lives.  She sought only humbly to obey her Master:

“It is not at all that we think that ours is the only way of living, but we are sure that it is the way meant for us.”    Amy Carmichael

“Who will be utterly other-worldly, utterly single-hearted, utterly consumed.  Don’t think I am that myself!  I fall far short of my own standard.  But that is what I want to be, and that is what we must be if we are to stand the strain and conquer.”   Amy Carmichael

The crowds in our verses for today continued to flock to Jesus – unsent for – pressing and surrounding our Lord and His guys so much so that they had had no opportunity to even eat.  Yet we discover the Master did not shut the door in their faces nor turn any petitioner away rather He unhurriedly and graciously bid them welcome.  These crowds presented an opportunity for Jesus to fulfill His mission and He was not about to miss the golden opportunity – grabbing hold of it regardless of the cost to Himself.  When one is resolute in undertaking God’s work, inconveniences are a given.  Yet, we must “strike while the iron is hot” or we may miss God’s best for our lives – and to be sure we don’t want to miss what He sweetly presents – rather fully embrace it disregarding the cost.  Unfortunately, there are some things that are irretrievable - like the last minute – like the opportunity to do another good bypassed because of inconvenience.  I am confident that spurred the apostle Paul to write:

¹⁵ Be very careful, then, how you live--not as unwise but as wise, ¹⁶ making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. ¹⁷ Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is.   Eph 5:15-17 (NIV) 

What I glean from this:

·       Insults from those closest sting hardest.  Sweet words heal bones.

·       I am to stand firm in the will of God, mature and fully assured.

·       I am to make the most of every opportunity presented.