Christ's nearest and dearest. Again, looking at one of the looks of the Lord. We have it there in verse 34 of Mark chapter 3. We read, And he looked round about on them, which sent about him, and said, Behold my mother, and my brethren." Mark, as we know, is the Gospel that presents the Lord Jesus as the Servant. Matthew presents Him as the Sovereign. Luke presents Him as the Sacrifice or the Sufferer And John presents the Lord Jesus as the Son risen in triumph. So, as we look at Mark, just to remind you that in keeping with this way that Mark presents the Lord as the servant, we noted in the past that almost every verse in Mark begins with the word, indicating that the Lord Jesus was a very busy servant. And he went on. And he visited Galilee. And he went into the synagogue. All these ands in the Lord's ministry is always busy. And this Savior of ours and this servant was a tireless servant, seldom taking time to rest from his labors. This is in keeping with what he told his disciples on one occasion. The Lord said, I must work the works of him that sent me. I must work the works of him that sent me while it is day. The night cometh when no man can work. The Lord evidently referring to his ministry upon earth. the works that he must do, the work that the Father has given him to do. And he said, I must work the works of Him that sent me. In other words, he could not go again to his Father with work that had been given left undone, not completed. This he made others aware of, even from his childhood days, telling Mary and Joseph, "'Wist ye not that I must be about my father's business?' They had lost him in the crowd as they left the temple. And they searched for three days for him. And when they found him, they told him that. We have sought Thee sorrowing. And the Lord said in reply, Wist ye not, I must..." There's the must again. "...be about my father's business." Luke 2 and 49. And the Lord Jesus said that even as a twelve-year-old. So as he faithfully carried out and performed his father's will and business, It meant that the Lord Jesus worked long hours. You look through the Gospels and you find that multitudes of sick people came to Him in the evening at the close of the day. And we are told that He healed every one of them. So He ministered to them all. Even though it was the close of the day, he is a tireless, working servant. Long hours without any rest or refreshment, as we read there in verse 20. And the multitude cometh together again, so that they could not so much as eat bread, They hadn't time. The Saviour hadn't time to eat bread. He hadn't time to refresh Himself. He hadn't time to rest. And we are told then in the next verse, verse 21, And when his friends heard of it, when they heard about his behaviour, when they heard about his ministry, when they heard about how He was so busy that he hadn't time to eat or he hadn't time to rest. We're told, they went out till they hold on him. For they said, he is beside himself. That was a rather cruel, uncalled for criticism of the Savior. He was being criticized and condemned by the scribes saying that he is the prince of devils. And those who are described here as his friends said he is beside himself. Those are strong words. Those words are not used anywhere else to describe the Savior. And these words did not come from His enemies. They came from His friends. And what do those words mean? They said He is beside Himself. What do those words mean? Those words mean that He was out of His normal state of mind. They said, those who professed to be his friends, that they believed that he was out of his mind. That's what the words mean. The words beside himself, or the words beside, literally mean displaced. In other words, they were saying there is something displaced in the minds of the Lord Jesus. That's something we would never dream of saying. That's something that would never enter into our minds to describe Christ in this way. They were saying the Lord Jesus was not behaving like a normal person. His mind was completely displaced. Although we have a different word used, it is translated the same in our authorized version. Over in the Acts of the Apostles, chapter 26, with regard to Paul. For in Acts 26 and verse 24, And as he thus spake for himself, as Paul spoke for himself, Thestis said with a loud voice, Paul, thou art beside thyself. Much learning doth make thee mad, And really, that's what the Lord's friends were saying about Him. There was something in His mind that was displaced. And they were really saying, He's mad. Working those long hours, not waiting and taking a rest and working and not eating anything. He's beside Himself. So the word was used to describe Paul, referring to Paul's words and Paul's learning. And they said that Christ was beside himself, referring to his works and his labors. They thought that he had gone too far. As a result, his friends decided that they must put a stop to this. Can you imagine? Because it says, they went out to lay hold on Him. They went out with the purpose of laying hold upon Christ and putting a stop to His ministry. because they said he is beside himself. To hold there, the words mean to hold fast and to prevail. So, they were going to hold him fast and they were not going to allow him to do any more preaching or carry out any further ministry. They said they were going to prevail against him. They're going to put a stop to this. That's what it's all about. That's what those words mean. So, having received the report from his friends, his family, mother and brethren, decide to go and put a stop to his ministry. That's where we take up our story in verse 31. There came then his brethren, and his mother, and standing with us, sent unto him, calling him. Here we see then, first of all, the intention of his family. the intentions of his family. The family may have meant well after hearing what the Lord's friends had told them about the Lord working so hard and being so busy that he didn't take time to rest or didn't take time to refresh himself with food. Nevertheless, They were meeting where the Lord, according to Matthew 12, verse 46, was talking to the people. The Lord was ministering to a multitude of people inside the house and outside. And they were going to put a stop to it. Notice here, first of all, their mistake. They were mistaken when they said he is beside himself. They had formed this opinion of him because he was so busy, could not so much as eat bread. They said he is beside himself, one, because they reckoned he was too busy. He had not taken time to rest. He had not taken time to eat food. They were mistaken, of course. The Lord was not beside Himself. There was absolutely nothing displaced in His mind whatsoever. He's the perfect man. Christ is perfect in every way. There's nothing wrong. Do you know why I believe why his friends thought he was beside himself. Yes, he was busy. But there's no harm in that. And I believe they thought he was beside himself because they didn't understand what being busy meant. They didn't really know the Lord. They didn't know that He was the Servant of the Most High God, that He was the Son of God. And they didn't know what He said, that He must work the works of Him that sent Him, while it is day, for the night cometh when no man can work. They didn't know that because they had never been as busy as He. And by someone who is busy, will understand it when they see someone else who's really busy. They'll understand if that person doesn't take time to rest or he doesn't take time to eat or drink. They understand because they have been just as busy as he. But the friends of the Lord didn't know what busy meant. They didn't know what it meant. A man says he's going to row across the Atlantic in his little boat. He's going to row across the Atlantic. He's going to leave North America and he's going to go to England. And he's going to row across the Atlantic in his boat. What would we say? That man's mad. That man has lost his senses. Why do we say that or why would we say that? Quite simply because we have never done any rowing. We have not rowed a boat any particular distance. But that man who's used to rowing a boat and has rowed perhaps great distances in the past, he's confident that he'll make it to the other side of the Atlantic. We think he's mad because we have not had any experience. And here the Lord's friends came and said, he's beside himself. Why? Because they had never been as busy as the Lord was. They didn't know what it was to work as the Lord worked. And you know, dear Christian, I'm sure I can speak for us all. I can certainly speak for myself. We surely have never been as busy for the Lord as the Lord Jesus was as busy for His Father. Have we ever had anybody come and tell us, friend, you need to slow down, you're beside yourself? Have we ever had anybody come and say, my friend, you're working too hard. You need to slow down. Has anybody ever come and said to us, you're working too hard for the Lord? I don't believe that has ever happened. That anybody has come and said to us, you're just too busy for the Lord. Oh, we can be too busy in blotting the Lord out. We can be too busy doing other things. But I'm talking about being busy for the Lord. Solomon said, Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might. Do it with all your heart. Do it with all your strength. Don't go at the job half-heartedly. I have only one life on this earth. In this vapour that is passing away, I must labour for treasures of worth. Our toil ends at the close of the day. What will we have done when it comes to the close of our day? Will we be able to look back? Will we be able to say, well, I've done my best for the Lord? Will it be said of us as it was said of Mary by the Lord Jesus, she hath done what she could. And the Lord commands Mary because she hath done what she could. That's what the Lord expects of us, that we do what we can. Paul speaks of an individual who was busy for the Lord. We read about him in Philippians 2, verse 25, his name is Epaphroditus. Verse 25 tells us about all the things that he did and was involved in. Yet I suppose it necessary to send to you, Epaphroditus, His name means lovely. Epaphroditus was a lovely Christian. And here Paul is going to send him. So he is going to be busy. To send to you, Epaphroditus, my brother and companion in labour, fellow soldier, your messenger, And he that ministered to your wants five things told us about Epaphroditus. He was a busy man. But then you go down in the chapter 2 of Philippians into verse 30. Because for the work of Christ he was nigh unto death. not regarding his life to supply your lack of service toward me. We read those words again. Because for the work of Christ he was nigh unto death, not regarding his own life to supply your lack of service toward me. We may use the phrase when we're talking about someone who's a hard worker, say, oh, they'll work their fingers to a bone. That could be aptly applied to Epaphroditus. He worked his fingers to the bone. He worked himself almost to death. That's how the Lord worked. And he was completely misunderstood because they thought he was too busy. They thought also that he was too burdened. That's why they said he was beside himself. He's overburdened. Five times in this chapter, five times we are told about the multitudes. that thronged the Lord Jesus and followed him. Verse 7, Jesus withdrew himself with his disciples to the sea, and a great multitude from Galilee followed him. Now, he withdrew himself with the disciples, no doubt, to spend a time with them. And yet, we read, great multitudes from Galilee followed him. Verse 8 And from Jerusalem, and from Idumea, and from beyond Jordan, and there by Tyre and Sidon, and a great multitude, when they had heard what great things he did, came unto him. Next verse, And he spake to his disciples that a small ship should wait on him because of the multitudes. Verse 20 And the multitude cometh together again. Verse 32, And the multitude sat about him. We know how the Saviour felt for the multitudes. For it is written in Matthew 9, verse 36, But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion. You ever been in the center of Toronto or some other big city? You see the multitude of people going here and there, crossing the road, walking up the sides of the street. Multitudes of people. Have we ever stopped and just stood in the midst of the multitude and looked around us and thought to ourselves, I wonder how many in this multitude know the Lord? How many know the Savior? And how many of us are moved with compassion? When Christ saw the multitudes, he was moved. The word means he was moved toward his innermost being. Because, he said, they are like sheep without a shepherd. And so in this Mark chapter 3, we have the reference again and again to the multitudes. And when Christ saw the multitudes, He was moved. He was burdened for them. He was always ministering to the multitude. Yes, he ministered to the few and to the individuals now and again, but in the mean it was to the multitude. He had a burden for a multitude of souls. And his friends thought he was overburdened. Because when they came to him, he was ministering to the multitude. You talk about a burden. Jonathan Edwards was a man with a burden for souls. Jonathan Edwards is perhaps known for that sermon that he preached, Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God. Jonathan Edwards did not have the best of eyesight. And so when he preached, he held his notebook up like this, and he was reading his message. And he didn't see what was happening in the pews and in his church. Because men in that meeting came under such deep conviction of sin They were holding on to the backs of the pews, and others were holding on to the pillars in the church, lest they felt they would fall into hell there and then. Sinners in the hands of an angry God. But they didn't know what had gone on with Jonathan Edwards before he preached that message. I'll tell you what Jonathan Edwards did. He spent three days and three nights in prayer, hardly taking a break. He agonized before God for three days and three nights. Some may have said, Mr. Edwards, you're overdoing it. Mr. Edwards, you're beside yourself. Mr. Edwards wasn't beside himself. Why? Because he had a burden for souls. He knew the message he had to preach. He knew it was a solemn message. Sinners in the hands of an angry God. Many, many, many souls were converted that day because Jonathan Edwards had a burden for those. And so those of the Lord's friends and family thought he was too busy and thought he was overburdened. So, we have the mistake of the family. The Lord was not beside himself. And then you have the mission of the family. What was their mission? Why? To lay hold on him and in so doing, interrupt his ministry and put a stop to his meeting. That's really what it entailed. To interrupt the meeting and call a halt. to the service and the preaching and the ministry of the Lord. They were going to lay hold on Him. And hold Him fast, they thought. So they would do more preaching. No more preaching. And they would take a rest. And they arrived at the house where the Savior was ministering. Verse 31, There came then his brethren and his mother, and standing without, sent on to him, calling him. They may not have realized it, but the mission they were on was exactly the same as those of his enemies. They were there to lay hold on him. Sure, isn't that exactly what his enemies planned to do? Matthew 26 and verse 55, In that same hour said Jesus to the multitudes, Are ye come out as against a thief with swords and staves, for to take me? I sat daily with you teaching in the temple, and ye laid no hold on me." That's what they were about. Well, isn't that what the Lord's family wanted to do? Lay hold on Him. Mark chapter 12, and there in the 12th verse, Mark 12 and verse 12, and they sought lay hold on him, but feared the people, for they knew that he had spoken the parable against them. And they left him and went their way, but they sought to lay hold on him. The Savior's friends went out Believing he was beside himself, they went out to lay hold on him. They told his mother, they told his brethren, and they all made their way to the place where the Savior was preaching in order to lay hold on him. There they stood outside the meeting. It would have served them better if they had not been in the meeting. It would have served them better if they had been sitting there with the multitude, but there they were unwittingly in league with his enemies. How often has that taken place in the church of Christ? Some behave in such a way that instead of helping and forwarding the work of God, they are actually a hindrance. John in his third letter spoke about such an individual. Turn to 3 John, verse 9. 3 John, verse 9, I wrote unto the church, But they uttereth these, Who loveth to have the preeminence, among them receiveth us not. Wherefore, if I come, I will remember his deeds which he doeth, prodding against us with malicious words, and not content therewith, neither doth he himself receive the brethren, and forbiddeth them that would, and casteth them out of the church. That's a right boy, isn't it? Loveth to have the preeminence. He was in the church. Mark that. But it was about the business of casting others out. He wasn't forwarding the work of God. He was a hindrance to the work of God. And really, the Lord's brethren and His mother, that particular day when they came to that meeting, they were acting in such a way that they would hinder the work of God. Because they were going to interrupt the meeting. They were going in their own minds to lay hold upon Him. They were going to put a stop to the preaching. They were going to put a stop to the Lord's ministry. That was their mission. That brings us now to the message for the family. We are told here the Savior was informed that His family was calling Him and that they were seeking for him. Matthew, in his account, puts it a little differently. In Matthew 12, verse 46, And while he yet talked to the people, behold, his mother and his brethren stood without desiring to speak with him. Then one said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren stand without desiring to speak with thee. What were they thinking? They were going to interrupt the Saviour's preaching. If you look at Matthew's account, Mark's account, and Luke's account, you'll get these phrases used. There were those who were calling him, seeking for him, desiring to speak with him. All very commendable. Think of it, for how often have we used that same terminology when it has come to our prayer life, seeking Him, calling to Him, wishing to speak with Him. Matthew informs us that He answered and said unto him that told him, that as one out of the multitude came to the Lord and perhaps whispered in his ear, your family is outside, they want to talk to you. One of our ministers was preaching one day in one of our churches. And it may have been weather like this, it was quite warm, and a lady faint in the church, in the congregation. So you can understand what an uproar that caused. Elders and committee come up and lifted her up and carried her outside. The preacher, with the Lord's help, got the congregation settled again, started to preach. And he just got into his message when the door to the minister's room, which was at the side of the pulpit, opened. And one of the men who had helped carry the lady out came up into the pulpit and told the minister, she's all right now. He had worked hard to get the congregation settled when the lady fainted. And then a few minutes later, this character comes up into the pulpit and tells the minister, Oh, the lady's all right now, she's recovered. And there's the people in the congregation. I wonder what he wants. I wonder what he said. I wonder, is the woman all right? And the meeting was disrupted a second time. Completely disrupted. I remember preaching in the old Ravenhill Church, in the Ravenhill Road in Belfast, and it was a dear soul. He suffered from epilepsy. And he was up in the gallery, and in the midst of the preaching he unfortunately took this turn, and it was a wooden floor. It just disrupted the whole meeting. It wasn't his fault, but it just disrupted the whole meeting. And I might as well have stopped preaching there and then. and pronounce the benediction. So, can you imagine what it would be like in this house where the Lord was ministering and His mother and His friends and His brethren all paraded into the meeting and where the Lord was preaching and laid hold on Him to put a stop to His ministry? Can you imagine what that would have been like? But that was their intention. That was their mission. The Lord answered. He answered and said unto him that told him. Mark records it. And he answered them. Who are the them? He answered the multitude. He didn't answer Mary and his brethren. That's not how he answered. He was answering those who had told Him that His mother and brethren were outside, calling Him, wanting to speak to Him. But He didn't answer them. The Lord did not respond to the calling and the seeking and the desires of His family. Why? Why did He not answer them? because they were doing something that was completely contrary to the Lord's will. It was not the Lord's will for him to stop preaching and to have the meeting disrupted and to go outside and speak to his family. He didn't answer them. And since, as we've already mentioned, we use that terminology about seeking the Lord, calling on the Lord in prayer, we wonder sometimes why our prayers are not answered. Why the Lord doesn't answer us? He didn't answer his mother that day. He didn't answer his brethren that day. Why? James tells us, because they asked a miss. If they wanted to speak to him, they could have waited until the meeting's end. The Lord was not going to disrupt the service. The Lord was not going to disrupt the meeting. He would not respond to their request because they had asked a miss. They had asked for something that was not according to His will. We pray it on quickly and we have the instructing of the family. We can see how the Lord used this slight interruption to instruct all who were about him, including his family. Notice, first of all, his congregation. For we read there in Mark 3, in verse 32, And the multitude sat about him. And they said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren without seek for thee." To give attention to his congregation. The multitude sat about him. There's the Lord somewhere in that house. A multitude of people is there because we're told by I think it's Luke that Mary and the Lord's brethren could not enter into the house because of the press. People were jammed into that house and outside it. But the point is this. Now you think of it, a multitude of people. You would think there would be some disturbance there. You would think there would be some milling about and walking about. No. We're told the multitude that sat about him. It's not a lovely little phrase. They were sitting at the feet of Christ, hearing his word. completely enraptured by his ministry, sitting. As it's said, no walking about, no milling around, but sitting in a reverent fashion, listening to his Word. Does this not bring to mind that occasion of the two sisters, Mary and Martha, The Lord's in the house. She, Martha, received Him into her house, most commendable. She had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus' feet and heard His Word. She sat at His feet, just like the multitude. But Martha was cumbered about much serving. She was active. She was walking about. She was walking up and down, doing what she believed she should be doing. And then she came to the Lord and said, Lord, dost thou not care? What a terrible thing to say. Dost thou not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Bid her therefore that ye help me. And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things. But one thing is needful, and Mary hath chosen that good part which shall not be taken away from her. Mary had chosen the good part. She had sat at the Saviour's feet. She had been helping Martha too. It wasn't as if she had left Martha to do it all on her own. She had been helping her. But then it was time to sit at the Saviour's feet. Here is word. That's where the multitude was that day, sitting at His feet. They had chosen the good part. We may not be able to sit literally at the Savior's feet, but when it comes to hearing His Word, that's the posture we ought to adopt. Sit at His feet, praying, Let me hear thy voice. Give me ears to hear thy sweet voice today. You have his challenge? For he said in verse 33, after he had been told about those outside, he answered them, saying, Who is my mother or my brethren? There are some who believe that the Lord here was really saying, Well, what's that to me? I don't believe that for a moment. That's not the Spirit of Christ. That's not the attitude of the Lord. They were mistaken in believing that His mother and brethren were of no particular relevance to Him. When the Lord Jesus said, my mother and my brethren." The Lord was really teaching those who said about Him and His family. He was saying, look, my family, when I look upon my mother and my brethren, I don't look upon them in the same way you do. Because as we know at the end of this chapter, He looked out upon His disciples and said, they, that's my mother and that's my brethren. He's talking about His church. He's talking about His people. His people make up his family. That's what he's teaching. Christ loves us as a mother is loved. Christ loves his brethren as brothers and sisters are loved. After all, the Lord refers to his children. He refers to us as his brethren. Paul tells us, In Hebrews 2, verses 10 to 12, He's not ashamed to call us brethren. We're His brethren. We're members of His family. We belong to His household. And so, the Lord's family wasn't confined to His mother and His brethren according to the flesh. The Lord's family is His redeemed family. That's what He was teaching them. You notice his contact, and that brings us to the words of verse 34, "...and he looked round about on them." You see, the Lord Jesus not only made contact with his hearers through his word, he made contact with his hearers through his look. Our sister, Miss Ead, in the Toronto church has been principal of the Christian school there for many, many years. It's a tremendous experience. And I have found whenever I'm with her, and maybe in the class, and the children become a little noisy, Miss Ead doesn't raise her voice. She does the opposite. She lowers her voice. So they have to listen. And as well as that, again when they're a little disruptive, she just stands there and says nothing. And she just looks across the classroom. And she's looking, and eventually every student looks at her. She has got their attention. just by looking. The Lord Jesus has a multitude of people in his ministry and we are told, and when, and he looked round about on them. He's getting their attention. Just by a look. He's not saying anything. He's standing there in silence. And he's making eye contact with them all. And as they all wait for his next word, he has their attention. And then he speaks. Then he says, Behold my mother and my brethren. Who's he talking to? Who's he referring to? Matthew 12, 49 and 48 tells us, he points to his disciples. Behold, my mother and my brethren. Now, he had a multitude of people sitting around him. He didn't happen to say to the multitude, Behold, my mother and my brethren. No, he said it. to the disciples, to those who were his own. And dear Christian, that's how the Lord looks upon us. He looks upon us with the same heart and through the same eyes as he did when he looked at Mary and her brethren. He looked upon them as his family. That's how he looks on us. That's how he loves us. We receive the spirit of adoption, but he doesn't think any less of us than Mary and his brethren according to the flesh. Why? He died for us. We are his nearest and his nearest. In the last place, you have the family identified. He identifies them as his disciples, as his own. His personal family He didn't include the multitude. Because, you see, the Lord has said in another time, I am the good shepherd and know my sheep. The Lord knew that in that multitude there were none of his sheep. He knew the disciples were his sheep. And he pointed to the disciples and said, Behold, my mother and my brethren. He points to us tonight. and says, Behold, my mother and my brother, his personal family, his particular family, whosoever shall do the will of God the same as my brother, my sister and mother." We must be those who do the will of God. His precious family. Mary, the Lord's mother, was precious in His sight. She was blessed among women or above women. Then if the Lord cares for his people as he did for his mother, we are precious in his sight. We are. Mary was precious to Christ. Exodus 19, verse 5, Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people, for all the earth is mine. Ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me. You're my treasure. What a lovely description of Christ's people. That's how the Lord describes us. We are his peculiar treasure. Well, he paid a high enough price for us, didn't he? He shed his blood. the blood of Emmanuel. We are His nearest and dearest. He loves us as He loved His Mother. May the Lord bless His Word to our hearts. And we go out of the meeting tonight rejoicing in that relationship we have with Him. that we are indeed His family. His God, His Father is our Father. Christ is our Savior and He's our Elder Brother. The Holy Spirit is our Comforter. We're a blessed people. We're a privileged people. We're the Lord's nearest and dearest. He'll do anything for us. He'll give His life for us. Praise His name. Let's bow our heads in prayer. O loving and eternal Father, we again bless Thee for the Word that sets out for us what we are to Thee. We thank Thee, Lord, for that blood relationship. We thank Thee, dear Lord, that we are redeemed, not with corruptible things such as silver and gold, but with the precious blood of Christ as of a lamb, without blemish and without spot. We are thy peculiar treasure, a treasure that is above all other treasures. We thank thee, Lord, that thou dost love us. That's why we love thee. O gracious God in our family here, Lord, knit us close together. Have you ever been looking on to Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith? Ever looking on to Christ, our elder brother? Lord, be with us now as we part the one from the other. We thank you for this Lord's Day. We would pray, Lord, with the amazed disciples as the day is far spent and it is toward evening. Lord, be pleased to abide with us. Now may the grace of the Lord Jesus, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit abide and remain with us now and forevermore. Amen.