20 Someone told him, "Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to see you." 21 He replied, "My mother and brothers are those who hear God's word and put it into practice."
These verses logically follow the preceding eighteen verses of chapter eight on the Parable of the Sower regarding those who hear the Word, retain it, and subsequently produce fruit. Jesus here is stressing the importance of putting His teachings into practice. His words were not merely for us to listen to as love songs (as God pens through Ezekiel):31 My people come to you, as they usually do, and sit before you to listen to your words, but they do not put them into practice. With their mouths they express devotion, but their hearts are greedy for unjust gain. 32 Indeed, to them you are nothing more than one who sings love songs with a beautiful voice and plays an instrument well, for they hear your words but do not put them into practice. Ezek 33:31-32 (NIV)
People often like to listen to God’s Word but neglect to obey it. James, the half-brother of our Lord Jesus states:22 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. 23 Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror 24 and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. 25 But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it--he will be blessed in what he does. James 1:22-25 (NIV)
Hmmmm...I enjoy being blessed, how about you? It is not merely sufficient to be a hearer of God’s Word but one must respond in active obedience to it. Otherwise we are simply a part of the “sit, soak and sour” crowd! The Bible Knowledge Commentary describes this verse as follows: The command is clear; Do not merely listen to the Word... Do what it says. One must “become,” or “keep on becoming” (ginesthe), a doer of the Word and not just a hearer. The growing numbers of sermon-sippers who flit from one doctrinal dessert to another like helpless hummingbirds are deceiving themselves. “Deceiving” is from a verb used in the New Testament only here and in Colossians 2:4. Paralogizomai means “to cheat or deceive by false reasoning.” The deception comes from thinking they have done all that is necessary when actually listening to the Word is only the beginning. —Bible Knowledge Commentary Basic human nature has not changed. It was the same way in Jeremiah’s day too. Jeremiah tells us:13 "From the least to the greatest, all are greedy for gain; prophets and priests alike, all practice deceit. 14 They dress the wound of my people as though it were not serious. 'Peace, peace,' they say, when there is no peace. 15 Are they ashamed of their loathsome conduct? No, they have no shame at all; they do not even know how to blush. Jer 6:13-15 (NIV)
Not too dissimilar to our day and time, the people of Jeremiah’s day thought God’s Word to be offensive. They wanted no part of obedience to it- even amidst the continual warnings from God through His prophets:
16 This is what the LORD says: "Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls. But you said, 'We will not walk in it.' 17 I appointed watchmen over you and said, 'Listen to the sound of the trumpet!' But you said, 'We will not listen.' 18 Therefore hear, O nations; observe, O witnesses, what will happen to them. 19 Hear, O earth: I am bringing disaster on this people, the fruit of their schemes, because they have not listened to my words and have rejected my law. 20 What do I care about incense from Sheba or sweet calamus from a distant land? Your burnt offerings are not acceptable; your sacrifices do not please me." Jer 6:16-20 (NIV)
Let’s take a lesson from history – God tells us: 14 if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land. 15 Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayers offered in this place. 16 I have chosen and consecrated this temple so that my Name may be there forever. My eyes and my heart will always be there. 2 Chron 7:14-16 (NIV)
As believers in Christ our bodies are now the temples – the dwelling place of God. His eyes and heart are there and He is attentive to our prayers. May those who come behind us find us faithful to the privilege of being obedient.