There is an incident, recorded by Mark in chapter 3, where Jesus seems to disown His own mother and brothers. He tells the crowd that those who want to do the will of God are His brothers, sisters and mother. Jesus is not being disrespectful to His own, just making a point about following God.
People down through the years in the church have used those terms, brother and sister, to denote others in the Body that are members of God's kingdom just like they are. There is a bond among those who seek the will of God and share a common purpose in working it out together.
Working in various churches over the years and in the prison ministry, I have been thrown in with many folks, some of whom, for various reasons, seem to rub me the wrong way. I judge their motives, attitudes, and ways of working. I think that their service is suspect, because it does not jive with the way that I think it ought to be done. In short, it becomes more about me and not about God's leading in whatever task we are to do together.
Whoa, who am I anyway?
When I go into prison in a few days from now, I will be working with a team of men, some of whom are quite different in style, manner, education and temperament, but we are all called to the same task. When the inmates see us, they need to see brothers working together for the purpose that God has put before each of us. A group of individuals, sure, but on the same page, God's page.
In that same prison setting, with this team, in that environment, and then with the new element of forty-two inmates, now that will be an eclectic group. Differences abound, but one thing is sure. I will have some new "brothers" when that weekend is over, and that will be a good thing.
No, actually it will be a God thing.
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