Quick Summary:

When I visit people in their homes for the first time, I always want to see their family photos because of the memories and relationships they evoke. It’s a great way to learn about who they are and the journey they’ve made through the years. When we take a close look at the family stories in the Bible we quickly see how painfully honest and uncensored the Biblical Family Portrait is. Beginning with the story of Adam and Eve and continuing through the story of Abraham and Sarah and their offspring the Scriptures tell us the truth about human stumbling and God’s relentless pursuit of a covenant relationship with us.

Remarkably, the Bible does not leave us with idealized portraits of the human family but instead gives us true-to-life, down-to-earth portraits that remind us of our own lives, and of the shattered state of affairs in which we often enough find ourselves.

It’s within this crucible of family life that a family’s values emerge, and that’s why I find our reading from Mark to be one of the most intriguing in all the gospels. For here we get to peek over the fence and see not only how Jesus defines family values, but how he redefines the family itself.