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BerianAardvark -> RE: Mark 3:35 (5/30/2008 12:06:15 PM)
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quote:
Now, Yeshua (Jesus) recognizing the crowd as His extended family does not mean He was violating Torah by not honoring His mother. He was, in my opinion, merely pointing out that with due respect he had work to do. Nor does it set a new precident that one is justified in abrogating ones familial responsabilities for "the church". Wasn't it Yeshua(Jesus) who found fault with the priests for saying that one need not take care of ones parents if one choses to give money to the temple instead? Now if ones family rejects uthem for their beliefs that is another story. But, I see nowhere in Scripture where one is told to reject ones family for the purpose of 'ministry".
Of course not. One of the most consistent accusations against Isra'el was their lack of concern for family especially parents, orphans and widows.
" 'The leaders of Isra'el in you all use their power in order to shed blood. In you, they make light of fathers and mothers, they oppress foreigners, they wrong orphans and widows. (Ezekiel 22:6-7)
The verses you were referencing regarding Yeshua and korban are below:
Yesha answered them, "Yesha`yahu was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites -- as it is written, 'These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far away from me. Their worship of me is useless, because they teach man-made rules as if they were doctrines.' "You depart from God's command and hold onto human tradition. Indeed," he said to them, "you have made a fine art of departing from God's command in order to keep your tradition! For Moshe said, 'Honor your father and your mother,' and 'Anyone who curses his father or mother must be put to death.' But you say, 'If someone says to his father or mother, "I have promised as a korban" ' " (that is, as a gift to God) " ' "what I might have used to help you," ' then you no longer let him do anything for his father or mother. Thus, with your tradition which you had handed down to you, you nullify the Word of God! And you do other things like this." (Mark 7:6-13)
It is restated later in the Pauline Epistles:
Moreover, anyone who does not provide for his own people, especially for his family, has disowned the faith and is worse than an unbeliever. (1 Timothy 5:8)
The issue is not rejection of family in favor of ministry...we are to be the spiritual heads of our households...that much is also made clear through out scripture, but rather the expansion of the concept of family to include all who do His Will.
Yeshua did not reject his biological family, even though what they intended was clearly contrary to God's will, nor are we to reject or ignore our family, even though they are not believers, or even deny us because we are believers.
If we examine bob97's "proof texts" in context it is east to see that we are NOT being told it is permissible to give precedence to church over family.
"A brother will betray his brother to death, and a father his child; children will turn against their parents and have them put to death. Everyone will hate you because of me, but whoever holds out till the end will be preserved from harm. (Matthew 10:21-22)
Here He is warning that unbelieving family will hate and persecute believing members...not that believers should reject unbelieving family. We are called upon to love and pray for even those who persecute us, even family.
For I have come to set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law, so that a man's enemies will be the members of his own household. Whoever loves his father or mother more than he loves me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than he loves me is not worthy of me. (Matthew 10:35-37)
These verses come close to being a proof text...but even they don't tell believers to reject their biological family. It does say that because we are His followers we will begin making making decisions in line with our new beliefs, and the changes in morals, values and goals. The fact that our family may reject us because of those changes cannot be used an excuse to avoid making those decisions and changes, but again it is our family moving away from us, NOT us rejecting or neglecting them.
"Sh'ma, Yisra'el! Adonai Eloheinu, Adonai echad [Hear, Isra'el! Adonai our God, Adonai is one]; and you are to love Adonai your God with all your heart, all your being and all your resources. (Deuteronomy 6:4-5)
Says much the same thing...God is to be our top priority in all things...but the total context of scripture, that is to say God's own word, demands that we care for our parents and families, which means that neglecting or rejecting them is not honoring His will, not putting at His disposal all of your resources.
Far too many Christians ruin their witness by paying more attention to their ministry than their family. How can you proclaim God's love when you family is suffering from inattention?
But for those in ministry of some sort an unbelieving wife hardly likely to be an issue...which means there is even less reason to ignore their needs.
Deacons must be husbands of only one wife, and good managers of their children and their own households. (1 Timothy 3:12)
Ministries cannot be allowed to become competition to wives, nor are children and households be neglected because of ministry duties, that would not be good leadership and management of their own households.
The qualifications for elder/leader/pastor are no less clear that the care and nurture of our families is a part of our ministry, if anything they are more stringent in this respect.
A leader must be blameless, husband to one wife, with believing children who do not have a reputation for being wild or rebellious. For an overseer, as someone entrusted with God's affairs, must be blameless -- he must not be self-willed or quick-tempered, he must not drink excessively, get into fights or be greedy for dishonest gain. On the contrary, he must be hospitable, devoted to good, sober-mindedness, uprightness, holiness and self-control. He must hold firmly to the trustworthy Message that agrees with the doctrine; so that by his sound teaching he will be able to exhort and encourage, and also to refute those who speak against it. (Titus 1:6-9)
Did Jesus go out to greet his earthly mother and brothers? He didn't allow them to take Him away for a "much needed rest" in either case, nor would it have been in His nature to have been disrespectful to them. If it were truly important for us to know exactly how He accomplished this it would have been covered in scripture.
Personally I suspect He had them ushered in so that they could see that He was healthy and not insane or over worked, thus answering their concern over His health and well being without a direct confrontation.
Tim
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