His family thought He was “out of His mind.” (Mark 3:21) Yes, even Mary.  She was there, too, and presumably she agreed with Jesus’ siblings, her other children, that Jesus had crossed the line.

How could Mary misunderstand?  She had received an angelic announcement tell her she was pregnant by the Holy Spirit and carried the Son of God in her womb.  At Jesus’ birth, she received visits from shepherds who had received a heavenly announcement as well, telling them that this baby was the long awaited Messiah.  Magi from the East came calling, bearing precious gifts, and recognizing the significance of her firstborn.

She had watched her son grow from the twelve year old boy who confidently taught adults in the temple during a trip to Jerusalem to the man who now forged out on his own, teaching other men the ways of the Kingdom.  Really, how could she miss it?

She missed it the same way we do.  She had preconceived notions about the Messiah that obscured the truth right before her eyes.  She thought Jesus was blowing His chance, misusing the opportunity that God had given Him, and going about Messiahship the wrong way.

To her, the Messiah would be a popular, national and political leader who would rise among the ranks of the religious establishment and eventually take His place at the top.  He would lead Israel away from Roman domination and establish His throne in Jerusalem.  But all He was doing now was alienating the religious establishment and acting quite… well, foolish.

If only she had read and received God’s Word with an open mind and heart she would’ve seen the truth. The Messiah would be not only a Righteous Ruler but also a Suffering Servant.  If she had listened carefully to what He spoke and recognized that even though He was her son genetically, He was her Lord supremely.

We come to God’s Word the same way all too often.  We have a notion of the way things should be, or at least how we want them to be. We consequently either twist Scriptures to mean what we want them to mean or ignore them if the meaning cannot be manipulated.  We read the Bible looking for affirmation rather than transformation.  We claim the Scripture is unclear or difficult when actually it is quite clear, but fails to say what we want it to say.

Let me challenge you to come to God’s Word humbly and with an open heart.  Let God’s Word shape your understanding rather than your presuppositions shaping God’s Word.  Let the Word speak for itself.  Consider it in its contexts – historical, literary, grammatical, and revelatory.  Seek its true meaning and conform to it.  Let God’s Word speak authoritatively in your life.

Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience. For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account. – Hebrews 4:11-13