Blood is Thicker than Blood!

For the first time in Mark’s Gospel, we see a writing technique that is often called sandwiching.  Last week, we were introduced to an experience with Jesus and His family.  However, Mark broke away from that experience to tell us about another experience with Jesus and the Scribes. 

 

Today, we return to Jesus and His family. 

 

Have you ever heard the statement, “Blood is thicker than water?”  It is a popular idiom that dates back to 12^th century Germany.  It means that family (blood) relationships are more important, more significant and stronger than relationships with others including friends, team mates, co-workers, etc.  Biological family is blood, and non-family is water.

 

You may have experienced or heard of situations like the following. 

 

“When my best friend and my brother got into a fight, I had to help my brother because blood is thicker than water.”

 

“Friends will come and friends will go, but your family will always be there for you.  Therefore, blood is thicker than water.”

 

However, I would say to this morning and from this text that blood is thicker than blood.  What on earth do I mean?  I mean that the blood of Christ that bonds the church together is thicker, more important, more significant and stronger than the blood that bonds families.

 

I want to share three truths with you this morning from this text in a message entitled, “Blood Is Thicker Than Blood!”

 

 

1. When you choose to follow Christ, family will not always understand, Mark 3:20-21.

20 Then the multitude came together again, so that they could not so much as eat bread. 21 But when His own people heard about this, they went out to lay hold of Him, for they said, “He is out of His mind.”

 

We looked at these verses two Sundays ago, and Mark kept us in suspense by inserting this additional scene with the scribes coming down from Jerusalem and accusing the Lord Jesus of being demon-possessed.

 

Remember from 3:19 that Jesus returned to Capernaum and specifically to Peter and Andrew’s house.  There were so many people who wanted to see Him and listen to Him and touch Him that He and His disciples didn’t even have time to eat a meal.

 

In 3:21, we see Jesus’ family.  This could be extended family in Capernaum or it could be His immediate family including His mother and His half-brothers.  3:21 tells us that they went to take custody of Him or get Him because they were afraid that He had lost His mind.  Remember, they had heard about all that was going on, but they didn’t understand. 

 

When you choose to follow after Christ, and your life changes and your priorities change, your family members might think you have lost your mind as well.

 

 

Even though I grew up in a Christian home, my life radically changed after my freshman year in college.  For the first time, I found out what it meant to walk with Christ on a daily basis, and from that point forward Jesus affected everything about me.

 

When my high school friends found out that I was going to be a pastor, I had several of them call me and ask me to perform their weddings.  However, I had developed several convictions regarding marriage, and I wasn’t just going to perform any and all weddings.

 

Both parties had to be Christians per 2 Corinthians 6.  Under no circumstances was I going to marry a Christian and a non-Christian, and these were some of my best friends from high school, and my family just couldn’t understand why I would say no.

 

Another requirement that I had was that the two individuals could not be living together before the wedding.  Living together before the wedding is almost always a sure sign of sexual immorality.  I had some family members call me arrogant and judgmental because they didn’t understand the Scriptures.

 

If you have chosen to follow Christ or choose today to follow Christ and your life radically changes like it should, I can promise your family will not always understand your new way of living.

 

They won’t understand the change in language and the change in drinking and the change in money management and the change in morality and the change in friends and the change in recreation preferences.

 

When you choose Christ, family doesn’t always understand.

 

 

2. When you choose to follow Christ, family will sometimes try to take you away or deter you, Mark 3:31-32.

31 Then His brothers and His mother came, and standing outside they sent to Him, calling Him. 32 And a multitude was sitting around Him; and they said to Him, “Look, Your mother and Your brothers are outside seeking You.” 

 

We saw it first in 3:21 and now again in 3:31-32.  Notice again in verse 21 that the family of Jesus was very specific in their intent.  They went out to take custody of Him or arrest Him.

 

In 3:31 we see that His family consisted of Mary and His brothers.  More than likely, Joseph had died by this time.  Once they had arrived from Nazareth in Capernaum at Peter’s house, they sent word into the crowded house for Jesus.  They had come to take their boy home.

3:32 says the word finally got to Him, “Jesus, your momma is here, and she is looking for you.”  His family wanted to take Him away from this crowd and this ministry.  They didn’t understand, and they wanted to rescue Him and keep Him from being involved anymore.  When you choose Christ, family sometimes tries to take you away or deter you.

 

Growing up, my mom’s side of the family always had their Christmas on Christmas Eve night.  We gathered at my grandmother’s house and ate finger foods and did some small gift exchanges. 

 

When I started seminary and serving on local church staff, the churches that I served had Christmas Eve services.  I always choose to be at my church rather than my grandmother’s because I felt that blood was thicker than blood.  The blood of Christ that unites the church is thicker than the blood that I share with aunts and uncles and cousins.

 

However, my mom’s side of the family could never understand this.  They would always try to get me to come and be with them on Christmas Eve night when I wanted to be with my church.

 

If you choose Christ, be certain that your family just might try to take you away from your church. 

 

On a similar note, there is a movement today that is pro-family, and I hear me say that I am pro-family.  However, I cringe church members say to me, “We aren’t coming to church tonight or on this Sunday because we need to spend time as a family.” 

 

According to Jesus Christ here in Mark 3, your biological family should not come before your church family.  Blood is thicker than blood, and when you take your family out of church to spend time together alone, I believe you are doing that which is contrary to the Word of God.  If you want to spend time together as family, there is no better place than the church of Jesus Christ.

 

 

3. When you choose to follow Christ, family is redefined, Mark 3:33-35.

33 But He answered them, saying, “Who is My mother, or My brothers?” 34 And He looked around in a circle at those who sat about Him, and said, “Here are My mother and My brothers! 35 For whoever does the will of God is My brother and My sister and mother.”

In 3:33, Jesus asked a rhetorical question?  The answer seemed obvious to this Jewish crowd.  Of course, Mary was His mother and her sons were His brothers.

 

However, in 3:34, He looked at those gathered all around Him, and Matthew even tells us that He motioned to them with His hand.  He said these gathered here are My mother and brothers. 

 

Who was He talking about?  He was talking about the twelve disciples or apostles in verse 34, and then He broadened it in 3:35.  Whoever does the will of God is Jesus’ brother and sister and mother.

 

Jesus is not anti-family.  He loves His family.  On the cross, He was so concerned about Mary’s future after He was gone that He entrusted her to John.  Jesus can’t be anti-family because God is not anti-family.  God instituted the family in Genesis 1.  God is the founder of the family.  Jesus is not anti-family.

 

At the same time, Jesus is pro-church.  I am not necessarily talking about these four walls.  I am talking about these people.  Jesus is pro-church.  You are the church.  Jesus is saying that the church and your relationships here are more important, more significant and stronger than your biological family.

 

This truth if very difficult for some of you to swallow because you love your family so much, and I love mine, but the church, those who do the will of God, come before my biological family.

 

Let me take you to another difficult text but one with a similar meaning.  See Matthew 10:34-39. 

 

34 “Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. 35 For I have come to ‘set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law’; 36 and ‘a man’s enemies will be those of his own household.’ 37 He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. 38 And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. 39 He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it.

 

Jesus calls for a greater commitment to Him and His church than our own biological family.

 

Conclusion

Emory Baptist Church is a family church.  We have some tight families, and we have some large families. 

 

Jesus is pro-family, but before He is pro-family, He is pro-church.  Where does your allegiance fall?  The blood of the church should be thicker than the blood of your family.

 

 

Invitation

First, if your relationship with your biological family is not good, EBC is your family and here for you.

 

Second, if you idolize your biological family, I challenge you today to lay that idol down and worship Jesus only and serve His bride.

 

Finally, if you have no family at all, God invites you to be one of His children and into His family by receiving His Son, Jesus, as Lord and Savior of your life.