Comfort for the Lonely

 

And his mother and his brothers came, and standing outside they sent to him and called him. And a crowd was sitting around him, and they said to him, “Your mother and your brothers are outside, seeking you.” And he answered them, “Who are my mother and my brothers?” And looking about at those who sat around him, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! For whoever does the will of God, he is my brother and sister and mother.” (Mark 3:31-35 ESV).

 

In my five decades of ministry, I have often talked with people who are lonely. It may be those who are in the midst of the pain of grief; or those who were searching for someone to walk with them through the rest of their lives. This is especially true around special days. It’s common to feel lonely or misunderstood. Jesus definitely knew that feeling. Maybe you know it too.

 

Today we have read that Jesus’ mother and brothers came to speak to him. At that time his family was convinced that Jesus was “out of his mind.” Perhaps they just wanted to protect him, thinking he might get himself into trouble. Clearly, Jesus was misunderstood by his family and by the teachers from Jerusalem. That’s why he pointed to his followers and called them his family.

 

It should be noted here that Jesus never stopped loving his immediate family. Just before his death on the cross he made arrangements for his disciple John to take care of his mother (cf. John 19:25-27). And after Jesus’ resurrection we find Mary and Jesus’ brothers among the believers (cf. Acts 1:14).

 

But today I want to concentrate on the fact that Jesus calls us his close family. You see, in Jesus we intimately connect with God the Father and the Spirit, and we become part of the worldwide body of believers. We have friends everywhere. We were created for connection. A big part of dealing with loneliness is to be intimately connected with God and his community. This is the first step to comfort in our loneliness. It also become important to find a community of believers that will give you even more connection and a sense of belonging.