June 6

Right Enthusiasm

When His family heard about this, they went out to take custody of Him, saying, “He is out of His mind.” — Mark 3:21 BSB

Even Jesus’ own family didn’t understand Him. His life was so different from the world’s ways that they couldn’t comprehend it. They thought His passion was evidence of madness. We hear the same kind of talk today when someone becomes utterly devoted to Christ. People say, “They must be insane!” They assume that anyone whose religion ignites into real passion or fervor must be crazy if they go beyond the average level of Christian commitment. Some of Paul’s friends thought he had lost his mind when he traveled across the world, preaching the gospel in city after city. But Paul’s answer was, “No, I am not crazy; the love of Christ compels me.”

This kind of “insanity” is a good thing. It’s a shame that it’s so rare. If more people were “crazy” like this, fewer souls would be lost under the shadow of our churches. It wouldn’t be so hard to find missionaries and money to send the gospel to the world. There would be fewer empty pews, fewer silent moments in prayer meetings, and more people teaching in Sunday schools. It would be wonderful if all Christians were as “beside themselves” as Jesus and Paul were.

There’s a far worse kind of insanity: living in this world without giving any thought to the next; moving among lost people without caring about their eternal fate. It’s easier to keep a cool head and a colder heart, ignoring the reality of lost souls. But we are our brothers’ keepers, and neglecting their salvation is a greater madness than any fervent devotion to Christ.