Relationship—Not Religion

April 11

I know what you’re thinking: “Here we go again.” It’s a common theme that I cannot move on from. Perhaps this is because I spent the first ten years as a Christian not knowing anything about it. I was never told that I should grow in my relationship with Jesus, much less how. It seems that just about everyone around me merely went to church once a week and went through the motions of being Christians. Unfortunately, most churches are filled with people who simply go through the motions for the same reason I did.

In Luke 8:19–21, Dr. Luke tells us that Jesus’ mother and brothers show up looking for Him, but could not reach Him because of the crowd. Someone told Jesus that they wanted to see Him, and He responded, “My mother and my brothers are those who hear and do the word of God.” Ouch! That was cold!

Interestingly, Jesus’ half-brother James echoed these words years later in the book named for him, saying, “But be doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.” (James 1:22)

However, James and his brothers had not always believed in Jesus. (Acts 7:5) In fact, James and his siblings were partially responsible for Jesus’ inability to heal people in Nazareth because of their lack of faith. (Matthew 13:58) But sometime between Jesus’ turning away of his family and shortly after His resurrection, James had a change of heart. Paul also lists James as someone to whom Jesus appeared. (Acts 1:14) The Good Shepherd clearly pursued his lost younger half-brother. Still, that’s not the end of James’ story.

His conversion was so transformative that he became one of the most important leaders of the Early Church. James was present at the first Church Council in Jerusalem. (Acts 15) Here, the Church debated how to deal with a division over the Judaizers—Pharisees who mixed faith in Jesus with strict adherence to the Law of Moses. The Judaizers were causing great upheaval in the Church, insisting that Gentile converts be circumcised and continue observing other Jewish ritual and ceremonial customs that had been forever satisfied through Christ’s sacrifice. (15:5)

James and the other church leaders rightly decided that there was no distinction between Jews and Gentiles—that both were saved not by the works of the Law but faith alone in Jesus and were, therefore, part of the same body of believers. (Galatians 3:28)

The Good Shepherd had never given up pursuing his lost half-brother James. A sibling who had once mocked Jesus and helped foster unbelief was now being used by Him to guard that very Faith. What an encouraging reconciliation and yet another tale of Christ’s transformative work!

Application

Question: How do you develop a relationship with someone—a family member, significant other, etc.? You spend time with him, talk with him, listen to him, and serve him. All of this helps you get to know that person.

You develop a relationship with Jesus the same way. And, when Jesus’ earthly family wanted to pull Him away from the mission of building His heavenly family, the very thing His Father had sent Him to do, He drew a hard line. Those who were there “to hear and do God’s word,” there to spend time with Him learning how to do that—this was family in the truest sense of the word. (Luke 8:21)

Once again, then, we’re reminded that—above all else—believers must prioritize spending time with God and especially in His Word. There is no substitute to pursuing Jesus by practicing the spiritual disciplines. And, as we do, reading, praying, singing, and listening to His words, our relationship with Jesus will deepen and our faith in Him will grow.

© Copyright 2026 Craig Beaman