Obedience is Thicker than Blood
But he answered them, “My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it.” – Luke 8:21, ESV
To which he replied, “My mother and my brothers? That means those who listen to God’s message and obey it.” – Luke 8:21, PHILLIPS Paraphrase
He replied, “My mother and brothers are the ones who hear and do God’s Word. Obedience is thicker than blood.” – Luke 8:21, MSG Paraphrase
“Jesus neither rejects nor praises his physical family; rather, he uses their arrival as a catalyst to redefine in the hearing of his disciples and the crowds the basis of kinship. Kinship in the people of God is no longer grounded in physical descent…but is based on hearing and doing the word of God. More particularly, given the identification of the word of God with his own ministry, the basis for kinship is now understood as sustaining a positive response to his message- that is, hearing and doing it.” – Joel B. Green
“Partial obedience is not obedience at all; rather, it is dressed-up disobedience.” – Paul David Tripp
Most often, when we ask questions the Bible doesn’t answer directly, we have a difficult time answering the questions definitively. One such question that is often asked is along the lines of ‘the minimum’ requirement for someone to be saved. Often this question comes with massive pain behind it because, someone who once confessed faith in Christ and may have even had a season of obedience is no longer walking with Jesus. The problem is, the Bible doesn’t answer this question directly in our way of thinking. And the reason is that we are often thinking in terms of an academic grading scale or even a majority rules mentality. God is not in the business of handing out grades (or extra credit for that matter) nor does he work on percentages to determine our status as His children. That is not to lightly set aside the fact that we will all face the judgement of a thrice-holy God (Revelation 20:11-15) or to dismiss the startling reality that we will all appear before the judgement seat of Christ (2 Cor. 5:10). It is however out of step with the teaching of the New Testament to understand our salvation as anything less than that which brings new birth: a birth that holds in it the promise of a changed life. It is in a life re-arranged everyday by the person and priorities of Jesus that our salvation shows itself authentic. This is not because, our good works will save us. It is because, God’s saving work has changed us so radically that we cannot remain as we once were (or return to our former state). This is why the parable of the sower is so good for us to consider thoughtfully. How is the word of God taking shape in my life? Am I growing in my followership of Jesus? Is obedience to the word of God normalized or disobedience? Are the concerns of this life choking the Jesus-life in my day to day walk? Am I simply responding to God’s word with lots of initial emotional energy and then being quick to give up when it gets hard to obey? We are not saved by works, but, by our obedience (or lack thereof) we can see the results of hearing and obeying God’s word over time. Jesus was not, and is not now interested in giving out ‘hell fire insurance’ policies in response to our praying a pray one time. He came, died and rose again to give us new life. That life will impact our response to God’s word, making it productive in our hearts. Obedience to the word of God is the method God uses to slowly produce in us Christ likeness. Or in other words, obedience to Jesus marks a person as belonging to His family. It’s like Eugene Peterson’s paraphrase so aptly puts it: “Obedience is thicker than blood.”
Questions for further discussion/life application:
What does my current level of responsiveness to the word of God indicate relative to the condition of my heart?
What is the most common hurdle to obedience? Is it snatched away? Is it emotion only response? Is it distraction with the concerns of this life? How can I pray for change so that obedience increases?
In reflecting on your story, when have you been most obedient to God’s word? What were key factors in your obedience?