Matthew 12:46-50 (NIV) 46While Jesus was still talking to the crowd, his mother and brothers stood outside, wanting to speak to him. 47Someone told him, "Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to you." 48He replied to him, "Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?" 49Pointing to his disciples, he said, "Here are my mother and my brothers. 50For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother."
I John 1:1-3 (NIV) 1That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. 2The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. 3We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.
I John 4:19-21 (NIV) 19We love because he first loved us. 20If anyone says, "I love God," yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. 21And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother.
If we really want to get to know someone we need to meet his or her family. There, we are most likely to see the person as they really are. There, we will certainly see the people who have been most influential in shaping and forming their life. If we want to get to know God, we need to meet His family, and His family is called the church. When Jesus said, “For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother,” He was not disowning His blood kin but was claiming a much larger group as His family.
If we are to know God, we need to read the Bible, pray, and serve Him in the world. But, flesh and blood carry the life and personality of Jesus sometimes more than the best stated ideas about Him or the most noble deeds done in His name. It appears to be God’s strategy that we are to meet Him and know Him through the impact and influence of other people. John is saying join the family. Participate in the fellowship of the family, and you will come to know God and the life He gives just as we did.
Notice he does not say come and worship with us, come and study with us, or even come and serve with us. John is saying, come and get to know us, and when you do, and as you do you will also know God and His Son Jesus. If we worship together, study together, serve together, but never get to know one another, we are like a family where the members do not have time for one another. And we will not get to know that part of God’s personality that is in you, or me, or anyone else. If we truly love God we will love His family.
From a sermon preached by Henry Dobbs Pope January 28, 1990
© Rhonda Hinkle Mitchell Broyles
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