Among Them
Among Them
“But He answered them, saying, “Who is My mother, or My brothers?” And He looked around in a circle at those who sat about Him, and said, “Here are My mother and My brothers! For whoever does the will of God is My brother and My sister and mother.””
Mark 3:33-35
I remember one of the first memories of being in school was sitting behind a desk in Mrs. Garcia’s Spanish class. I’m not sure how old I was or what grade, mostly because my memory sucks nowadays. She was a grey-haired lady, probably in her late fifties. What I remember most was that we all sat, waiting for her to come in to the classroom and teach us something. We waited patiently, and disturbingly, for her to start. We watched the clock and waited for the bell to ring. And when she started, we started looking at the clock for the bell to ring again, so we could leave.
Every single class I have ever taken, every single lecture, every single concert, every single event I’ve gone, the person or the attraction was the focus and they were almost always at the front of the venue. The most important person or thing was always at the front.
We have been taught, and have learned, that when we go to an organized event, we place the person or persons of importance at the front. Of course, the seating can get creative. Some will create a semi-circle, rows, a box or even some combined variant of all three. The only thing that never changes is where the important person is - at the front.
All eyes are on the person teaching the class, giving the concert, selling the merchandise or cooking the food.
However, when Jesus taught, he was among them and they sat about Him. It wasn’t about being at the front of the class or the leader or even being the focal point. His message, has and always will be, what we should focus on. Putting Him in the middle of everything we do and walking with Him should come first. He is, and always will be, the most important person in a Christian’s life.
His important work, His sacrifice, has already been done. Remember, “it is finished”? We are now filled with the Holy Ghost. We have Jesus with us at all times. We walk with Jesus. Not behind Him.
We’ve all had managers, supervisors, leaders, trainers, they say “head this way” or “head that way”, “do this or that” and all in the name of “because I said so”. Every time they’ve taught us something we’ve given our full attention and “yes sir” or “yes ma’am” followed. We’ve followed every rule or order because they were paying us to do so, and we liked getting paid. One quick side note, if you want to stop getting paid to work, stop working. Most of us, with solid work ethics, enjoyed our work and liked doing the jobs. This made following the rules easier, for us, and our leaders. But we always followed someone around, put them at the top or eventually we became the top and everyone followed us. Everyone likes being the important guy or gal. And everyone likes being at the front of the line.
For the most part, our fathers always sat at the head of the table at supper. Dad always drove and dad made most of the decisions for the family. Ins one cases, dad went to work while mom stayed at home. My brother and I always respected Dad because he demanded it. In some cases He even deserved it. In many families, dads earned respect. So we always put dad at the front.
Society has designed, and successfully manipulated, the headship. Someone is always at the top, or first, or in the lead. Everything has become a race to get to that one position that everyone will look at. Everyone wants to give their best opinion because they are always right. And there’s always someone who’s comment is more important than everyone else’s. We seldom, if ever, ask for advice, opinions or thoughts - just because.
All of our lives we have been taught to place the person with the most importance at the front of everything we do, to always listen to what they say and to revere them no matter what. The military teaches it. Fortune 500 companies teach it. Society reinforces it. Mom and dads teach it. “Listen to your brother, he’s in charge”. “Call
your supervisor if you need help”. “Never go outside the chain of command”. And we have always fallen in line. Those that don’t, they fell out of line.
So why don’t we do that with Jesus?
After all, isn’t He the most important thing? Isn’t he The Head of The Body? More important than our work? Our families? Our selves? He’s suppose to be. Aren’t we suppose to follow Him? Forsake everything? But people don’t like to hear or do what makes them somewhat uncomfortable, well, because, it’s not comfortable. Maybe they feel they didn’t sign up for it. Maybe, just maybe, it’s because it’s a life that isn’t being lived for us. Or they feel they are doing a good enough job, all on their own.
Jesus Christ will be exactly where you put Him in your life. If He comes after your hobbies, or your work or only on Sunday and Wednesday - that’s where He will be. And if you place any other “man” in front of Jesus - that’s who you’ll go to.
If you only go to Jesus when you’re hurting or needing something or even wanting something, that’s the only time you’ll see Him. Jesus is always with us. His desire is that we walk with Him and learn from Him, always. And that we become more like Him every day.
If you only spend twenty minutes a day with Jesus, you’ll get twenty minutes of Jesus a day. Is it enough?
And if you put Jesus at the front of the classroom, or on a t-shirt, or in a successful business - you’ll never walk with Him, because you put Him somewhere other than where He should be. Jesus isn’t a charm on a necklace, a tattoo, a design or a slogan.
Walking with Jesus is living with Jesus twenty four hours a day. It is having Jesus on your mind always. It’s gathering at His feet, telling others about Him and calling out to Him at all times. You can’t become more like Jesus if you don’t even know Who Jesus is.
Knowing Jesus means to put Him in the middle of your life so that no matter where you turn, he is always there.
“For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.””
Matthew 18:20
“But Jesus called them to Himself and said to them, “You know that those who are considered rulers over the Gentiles Lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant. And whoever of you desires to be first shall be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.””
Mark 10:42-45