When the President of a nation flies into a city, many people gather. As the President walks down the stairs from the plane, he is saluted by an honor guard, cheered by the crowd, and greeted by the local mayor and other local dignitaries. There are the “important people” there, beginning with the President and the first lady, the military unit, the mayor and so forth. Then there is the crowd—the ordinary people who came to get a glimpse of the President. Those in the crowd are the least important in the group.
Today we learn how Jesus valued the people in the crowd (Luke 8:19-21).
“The mother of Jesus and his brothers came to him but were unable to join him because of the crowd. He was told, ‘Your mother and your brothers are standing outside, and they wish to see you.’ He said to them in reply, ‘My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and act on it.’”
I’m sure there was a “pecking order” in the group that day. Jesus, of course, was first in importance, then the Twelve, more than likely were gathered close to Him. The richer, more important persons of the town were probably given a place in the first row. Then, late for the meeting, came the mother and brothers of Jesus. They were more important even than the Twelve. It would have made sense for Jesus to say: “Please make an aisle so my mother and brothers can sit upfront.” Instead, Jesus practically ignored the message and went into a teaching about God’s love. He looked in the eyes of the people and told them that if they wanted to, they could be as mothers and brothers to him. It was not family ties but “God ties” that made a person important to Jesus. The least “nobody” in the crowd may have been the one most important to God because He judges by how well a person listens to his Word and lives by it.
The “spotlight” quickly turned from Mary and Jesus’ brothers to the crowd itself. Each of them was as beloved to God as were the relatives of Jesus.
Can we stop for a moment and put ourselves in the crowd that day? Then, can we imagine Jesus surveying the crowd and landing his gaze on you? As he looks into your eyes, you read his heart, which seems to say to you: “Do you know how important you are to me? Do you know how much I love you? Do you not know that if you give your life to me, you will be on the same level as my mother and my brothers?”
Let us take a moment right now, close our eyes, and see Jesus standing in front of us. What is he saying to you right now? Does a peace come into you, knowing how loved you are by God and knowing he has chosen you as his own beloved daughter or son? Can you imagine Jesus motioning you to come forward and sit next to him?
Jesus came for one purpose: to show us the Father’s love and to invite us to be close, once again, to Him. The first Adam caused us to be separated from God’s love, the second Adam brings us back home to our heavenly Father. Thus is the goal of life, to get as near to God as we can on this earth, so as to make way for eternal closeness to him in heaven. What else matters?
