Tuesday Reading: Luke 8:19-21
Key Verse: Luke 8:21
21 And He answered and said to them, My mother and My brothers are those who hear the Word of God and do it.
Devotion:
This chapter in Luke starts off by telling us the parable of the sower who was sowing seeds, each of which fell into different ground with different outcomes for the seeds. Jesus then went on to explain to the disciples how we are like those different grounds and the Word of God is the seed, but what came next was probably something that nobody was expecting, especially from their Lord. When Jesus was told that His brothers and mother were wanting to come and see Him He said these words in Luke 8:21.
Why would He seemingly deny His kinsmen as brothers and sisters? Well He does not deny them as much as saying that His mother and brothers are those that He chooses when they choose to follow Him. What He is saying is that any one of us who are willing to come to Him and ask for forgiveness will be treated as brothers. What better relationship could you ask for than to be called a mother or brother of Christ?
We are told in John 7:5 [For His brothers did not believe in Him] that His brothers did not actually believe that He was the Christ, the Son of God. They were no doubt persuaded by what was around them, both people and physical things, such that they could not see how their brother could be God. Mary and Joseph, however, had no doubts because of what they had heard from the angels – something that may well have been very difficult to come to terms with. But just because something is difficult to come to terms with, it does not mean that it cannot be true. God continues to use all manner of circumstance and happenings to lead and protect us – we just have to listen to that advice through His Word!
Points to Ponder:
Do you struggle with believing things without seeing them?
Are you struggling with what God does in your life?