REPOST Today’s Spiritual Food for Thought is an updated version of AMI QT Devotional first posted on August 28, 2013.

Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend  

“Jesus and His Earthly Family”

Luke 8:19-21

 Then his mother and his brothers came to him, but they could not reach him because of the crowd. 20 And he was told, “Your mother and your brothers are standing outside, desiring to see you.” 21 But he answered them, “My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it.”

I want to share two thoughts today.

One: It must not have been easy for God’s Son to leave His heavenly home in order to come “to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him” (John 1:11).  Today’s passage shows that those who did not believe him, at least at first, included his own brothers and mother (Mark 3:21).  What gives us hope is that eventually his brothers James and Judas, not only came to believe in Jesus as their Lord and Savior, but also served Him. 

Spend some time in prayer for those who are being persecuted by their own family members because of their faith in Jesus, especially in AMI churches in E. Asia. 

Two: Was experiencing the miraculous conception enough for Mary to put her trust in her son, the Savior Jesus Christ?  No, for it takes the work of the Holy Spirit to regenerate a dead spirit to come to life (Eph. 2:5).  Now, becoming a Christian truly is an awesome privilege but having faith in Jesus Christ does not happen by human effort (John 1:13: “who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.”)  Today’s passage, therefore, helps us to see the value of the covenant community, the church.  Perhaps, it is very hard for us to accept this spiritual family more so than our biological family, yet the spiritual family is where there is genuine fellowship.  Pray for AMI churches both here and abroad that their relationships with one another in the Lord would not be superficial, but genuine.

Prayer: Lord, even as I love the members of my spiritual family, help me to really love those family members who do not believe and, at times, are antagonistic towards me for believing in God. Lord, save them. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: 1 Chronicles 22-23