Jesus' True Family & A Nap On a Boat

The Kingdom continues to expand.

Luke 8:19-25 | Acts 13:1-41

Mind you, Jesus did not say that his mother and brothers didn’t listen to God’s word and do it, just that his true family are those that do. Do not forget that one of the last things Jesus did as he died on the cross was make sure his mother was seen after.

Luke wrote his second book (Acts) to tell of the beginning of the Church (the acts of the apostles). Today you’ll read a good chunk of the Church’s expansion. And we’ll see Saul’s zeal turn toward the righteousness of Christ’s gospel.

Luke 8:19-25

Jesus’ mother and brothers came to him but were unable to reach him because of the crowd. Someone told him, “Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to see you.”

He replied, “My mother and brothers are those who listen to God’s word and do it.”

One day Jesus and his disciples boarded a boat. He said to them, “Let’s cross over to the other side of the lake.” So they set sail.

While they were sailing, he fell asleep. Gale-force winds swept down on the lake. The boat was filling up with water and they were in danger. So they went and woke Jesus, shouting, “Master, Master, we’re going to drown!” But he got up and gave orders to the wind and the violent waves. The storm died down and it was calm.

He said to his disciples, “Where is your faith?”

Filled with awe and wonder, they said to each other, “Who is this? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him!”

Acts 13:1-41

The church at Antioch included prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon (nicknamed Niger), Lucius from Cyrene, Manaen (a childhood friend of Herod the ruler), and Saul. As they were worshipping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Appoint Barnabas and Saul to the work I have called them to undertake.” After they fasted and prayed, they laid their hands on these two and sent them off.

After the Holy Spirit sent them on their way, they went down to Seleucia. From there they sailed to Cyprus. In Salamis they proclaimed God’s word in the Jewish synagogues. John was with them as their assistant. They traveled throughout the island until they arrived at Paphos. There they found a certain man named Bar-Jesus, a Jew who was a false prophet and practiced sorcery. He kept company with the governor of that province, an intelligent man named Sergius Paulus. The governor sent for Barnabas and Saul since he wanted to hear God’s word. But Elymas the sorcerer (for that’s what people understood his name meant) opposed them, trying to steer the governor away from the faith. Empowered by the Holy Spirit, Saul, also known as Paul, glared at Bar-Jesus and said, “You are a deceiver and trickster! You devil! You attack anything that is right! Will you never stop twisting the straight ways of the Lord into crooked paths? Listen! The Lord’s power is set against you. You will be blind for a while, unable even to see the daylight.” At once, Bar-Jesus’ eyes were darkened, and he began to grope about for someone to lead him around by the hand. When the governor saw what had taken place, he came to believe, for he was astonished by the teaching about the Lord.

Paul and his companions sailed from Paphos to Perga in Pamphylia. John deserted them there and returned to Jerusalem. They went on from Perga and arrived at Antioch in Pisidia. On the Sabbath, they entered and found seats in the synagogue there. After the reading of the Law and the Prophets, the synagogue leaders invited them, “Brothers, if one of you has a sermon for the people, please speak.”

Standing up, Paul gestured with his hand and said, “Fellow Israelites and Gentile God-worshippers, please listen to me. The God of this people Israel chose our ancestors. God made them a great people while they lived as strangers in the land of Egypt. With his great power, he led them out of that country. For about forty years, God put up with them in the wilderness. God conquered seven nations in the land of Canaan and gave the Israelites their land as an inheritance. This happened over a period of about four hundred fifty years.

“After this, he gave them judges until the time of the prophet Samuel. The Israelites requested a king, so God gave them Saul, Kish’s son, from the tribe of Benjamin, and he served as their king for forty years. After God removed him, he raised up David to be their king. God testified concerning him, ‘I have found David, Jesse’s son, a man who shares my desires. Whatever my will is, he will do.’ From this man’s descendants, God brought to Israel a savior, Jesus, just as he promised. Before Jesus’ appearance, John proclaimed to all the Israelites a baptism to show they were changing their hearts and lives. As John was completing his mission, he said, ‘Who do you think I am? I’m not the one you think I am, but he is coming after me. I’m not worthy to loosen his sandals.’

“Brothers, children of Abraham’s family, and you Gentile God-worshippers, the message about this salvation has been sent to us. The people in Jerusalem and their leaders didn’t recognize Jesus. By condemning him they fulfilled the words of the prophets that are read every Sabbath. Even though they didn’t find a single legal basis for the death penalty, they asked Pilate to have him executed. When they finished doing everything that had been written about him, they took him down from the cross and laid him in a tomb. But God raised him from the dead! He appeared over many days to those who had traveled with him from Galilee to Jerusalem. They are now his witnesses to the people.

“We proclaim to you the good news. What God promised to our ancestors, he has fulfilled for us, their children, by raising up Jesus. As it was written in the second psalm, You are my son; today I have become your father.

“God raised Jesus from the dead, never again to be subjected to death’s decay. Therefore, God said, I will give to you the holy and firm promises I made to David. In another place it is said, You will not let your holy one experience death’s decay. David served God’s purpose in his own generation, then he died and was buried with his ancestors. He experienced death’s decay, but the one whom God has raised up didn’t experience death’s decay.

“Therefore, brothers and sisters, know this: Through Jesus we proclaim forgiveness of sins to you. From all those sins from which you couldn’t be put in right relationship with God through Moses’ Law, through Jesus everyone who believes is put in right relationship with God. Take care that the prophets’ words don’t apply to you:

Look, you scoffers,
    marvel and die.
I’m going to do work in your day —
    a work you won’t believe
    even if someone told you.”

Prayer

God,

First off, thank you for today, which begins a new work week. Monday.

Lord, help me to affect what I can today. Give me the grace and wisdom to do so. But when things to not go my way, give me the same: grace and wisdom. Help me be gracious to people as I make effort to team up with or collaborate with them. And then give me patience all the more when they do not return the goodness. Help me to remember Christ, whose effort was always there, but who was wise enough to know when to move on.

By your Spirit and in Christ,
Amen.