Post by Ben on Jul 11, 2014 16:22:12 GMT
Verses 46-50: "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. But he answered and said unto him that told him, Who is my mother? and who are my brethren? And he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren! For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother."
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From The Law of Moses by Brother Roberts:
"Jesus, the great Nazarite, made light of natural relationship in spiritual connections. A young man whom he called to follow him, wished to go and first say farewell to those that were at home. Christ's answer has appeared rough to those who cannot judge by any higher rule than the flesh: "No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God" (Luke 9:62). To another, he said, "Follow me: but he said, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father", Christ's rejoinder was of the same character as in the other case: "Let the dead bury their dead, but go thou and preach the kingdom of God." Jesus would not have us unmindful of natural duties, but he asserts the superior claims of those that have to do with God. He affirms a stronger connection and a higher relation in the case of those who are related to God, than those who are connected in flesh. "Who is my mother? and who are my brethren? And he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren! For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother and sister, and mother." This declaration had all the greater point from the circumstances that drew it forth, namely: the circumstance of his mother and his brothers, calling for him to take him home. One of the crowd said to him, "Thy mother and thy brothers without seek thee". The words quoted were his rejoinder.
Why should Jesus have thus made light of the ties of natural friendship? Because of what natural friends are, in the light of the Nazarite law. They are defiled by death. They are mere fellow-buds on the Adamic tree, which is a tree of death. Those who are truly sanctified by the truth are delivered from this defilement. Though physically the same as their relatives, it is only for a time they will remain so. In their mental relations, they stand new men in Christ, "chosen of God and precious": "elect according to the foreknowledge of God through sanctification o; the Spirit and belief of the truth": and this alteration in their mental relations will lead to a complete alteration in their physical state in due time, when that takes place which Paul variously calls "the redemption of our body" (Rom. 8:23), the swallowing up of mortality in life (2 Cor. 5:4), the putting on of immortality by "this mortal" (1 Cor. 15:54), the changing of this vile body by the Lord that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body (Phil. 3:21). Because therefore of the great difference between those who have come to belong to God by the belief and obedience of the truth, and those who are mere sons of Adam unwashed from their sins, it is not for the former to have close dealings with the latter. The anti-typical application of the Nazarite law forbids it. They are not to be defiled by the dead. They are not to be unequally yoked with unbelievers. They are not, as the children of light, to have communion with darkness. They are not to love the world, nor the things that are in the world, for all that is in the world, being pursued in disobedience to God, is displeasing to God; and becomes the mere "lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life". The children of this world are inspired by the flesh in all their ideas; and "they that are in the flesh cannot please God". All these things are testified (2 Cor. 6:15; John 2:15; Rom. 8:8), and nowhere more forcibly than in this object-lesson of the Nazarite holding aloof from all contact with the dead during the days of his separation."
(The Law of Moses, "Nazariteship", pages 282-283.) [Emphasis added. -BN]
********************************************
From The Law of Moses by Brother Roberts:
"Jesus, the great Nazarite, made light of natural relationship in spiritual connections. A young man whom he called to follow him, wished to go and first say farewell to those that were at home. Christ's answer has appeared rough to those who cannot judge by any higher rule than the flesh: "No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God" (Luke 9:62). To another, he said, "Follow me: but he said, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father", Christ's rejoinder was of the same character as in the other case: "Let the dead bury their dead, but go thou and preach the kingdom of God." Jesus would not have us unmindful of natural duties, but he asserts the superior claims of those that have to do with God. He affirms a stronger connection and a higher relation in the case of those who are related to God, than those who are connected in flesh. "Who is my mother? and who are my brethren? And he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren! For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother and sister, and mother." This declaration had all the greater point from the circumstances that drew it forth, namely: the circumstance of his mother and his brothers, calling for him to take him home. One of the crowd said to him, "Thy mother and thy brothers without seek thee". The words quoted were his rejoinder.
Why should Jesus have thus made light of the ties of natural friendship? Because of what natural friends are, in the light of the Nazarite law. They are defiled by death. They are mere fellow-buds on the Adamic tree, which is a tree of death. Those who are truly sanctified by the truth are delivered from this defilement. Though physically the same as their relatives, it is only for a time they will remain so. In their mental relations, they stand new men in Christ, "chosen of God and precious": "elect according to the foreknowledge of God through sanctification o; the Spirit and belief of the truth": and this alteration in their mental relations will lead to a complete alteration in their physical state in due time, when that takes place which Paul variously calls "the redemption of our body" (Rom. 8:23), the swallowing up of mortality in life (2 Cor. 5:4), the putting on of immortality by "this mortal" (1 Cor. 15:54), the changing of this vile body by the Lord that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body (Phil. 3:21). Because therefore of the great difference between those who have come to belong to God by the belief and obedience of the truth, and those who are mere sons of Adam unwashed from their sins, it is not for the former to have close dealings with the latter. The anti-typical application of the Nazarite law forbids it. They are not to be defiled by the dead. They are not to be unequally yoked with unbelievers. They are not, as the children of light, to have communion with darkness. They are not to love the world, nor the things that are in the world, for all that is in the world, being pursued in disobedience to God, is displeasing to God; and becomes the mere "lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life". The children of this world are inspired by the flesh in all their ideas; and "they that are in the flesh cannot please God". All these things are testified (2 Cor. 6:15; John 2:15; Rom. 8:8), and nowhere more forcibly than in this object-lesson of the Nazarite holding aloof from all contact with the dead during the days of his separation."
(The Law of Moses, "Nazariteship", pages 282-283.) [Emphasis added. -BN]