The Life and Mission of Jesus Christ: Episode 27

Rev. Sun Myung Moon: The Life and Mission of Jesus Christ
Chapter 4: With The Disciples, Jesus’ Family Opposes Him, Page 80-81

Jesus’ Family Opposes Him

Then Jesus entered a house, and again a crowd gathered, so that he and his disciples were not even able to eat. When his family heard about this, they went to take charge of him, for they said, “He is out of his mind.” (Mark 3:20-21)

 

As we can see from these words, Jesus did not have parents and brothers who could sincerely comfort him. Because he did not have true parents and brothers, Jesus found himself in a sad, lonely, and miserable situation; and was forsaken by his clan. When John the Baptist, who should have prepared the way of the Lord, betrayed him, he felt enormous grief and bitterness. We need to become connected to the situation of Jesus by feeling his heart, and, going one step further, we can inherit all of his teachings.

Although Jesus’ family and clan were amazed by the miracles surrounding Jesus’ birth, because they were ignorant about the dispensation of God, they could not receive him as the Messiah. Originally they should have understood Jesus’ heavenly mission and prepared his future path and environment; they should have become the stepping-stones for Jesus on his path to fulfill the dispensation of God. Had they done that, Jesus would not have needed to find his own disciples.

Why Does the Lord Have to Return?
May 26, 1957

Jesus’ mother and brothers did not become his true family members. Instead, they became his enemies on the path he was walking. Furthermore, even Jesus’ three disciples, whom he educated with all of his heart and life, who walked with him through the three years of his public ministry, did not become his true family members … .

What kind of person would be a true member of Jesus’ family? He or she would be a person who resembled Jesus in wanting to spread the word to everyone. He or she would have experienced all of God’s anxious and grieving heart as he watched Jesus fighting Satan. Therefore, Jesus’ true family member would not be someone who just followed Jesus when he was walking the way of the cross, but would be someone who understood the heart of Jesus throughout his life, up to the time when he had to walk a path toward the cross.

Then Jesus’ mother and brothers arrived. Standing outside, they sent someone in to call him. A crowd was sitting around him, and they told him, “Your mother and brothers are outside looking for you.”

“Who are my mother and my brothers?” he asked.

Then he looked at those seated in a circle around him and said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! Whoever does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother.” (Mark 3:31-35)

When Jesus came to the earth, the fact that he could not find a true family member was his greatest sorrow and pain. He could not find a true member of his family who would testify on his behalf, fight alongside him when he was battling Satan, and carry the cross on his behalf as he walked toward Golgotha—a person whom he could be proud of before heaven and earth.

What, then, should we do? As Jesus was desperate to testify to God’s will of 2,000 years ago, we who are living today should also do our best to testify to his will, with all of our heart and mind. We should become the kind of person who can fulfill the wishes of Jesus, in the same situation as Jesus who fought against Satan, and with the heart of Jesus who was concerned about the fulfillment of God’s will despite the opposition of the Jewish authorities and the nation of Israel. Further, to eliminate all the obstructions to fulfilling the will of heaven, we should become the kind of person who can feel the grim resolution of Jesus, who was determined to offer even his life. We should also have the spirit to become a willing sacrificial offering, to carry a cross on behalf of the people.

If you have the character of Jesus, you can communicate with the heart of Jesus, who 2,000 years ago offered himself as a sacrifice on behalf of the Israelites. You should not become a dead offering, someone who surrenders to Satan. If you are imbued with the heart of Jesus, you do not need to be afraid to testify to the will of Jesus, nor will you be defeated in fighting against Satan. Therefore, we in the Last Days should possess a heroic resolution and have the heart to climb over the hill of death, guiding even our enemies to God’s loving bosom. Then we can finally become true members of Jesus’ family.

Let Us Become a True Member of Jesus’ Family
October 18, 1957