There aren't many words in the English language, that have such a strong push in good and bad directions as "family." The mere mention of family causes some of us to rejoice, and some of us to weep.

GIVING DYSFUNCTIONAL FAMILIES PURPOSE

Luke 2:1-7
In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. 2 (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3 And everyone went to their own town to register.
4 So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. 5 He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. 6 While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7 and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.

Despite all of this craziness, Jesus connected them together into eventually being a family that changed the world.

HEALING BROKEN FAMILIES

Mark 5:21-24
21 When Jesus had again crossed over by boat to the other side of the lake, a large crowd gathered around him while he was by the lake. 22 Then one of the synagogue leaders, named Jairus, came, and when he saw Jesus, he fell at his feet. 23 He pleaded earnestly with him, “My little daughter is dying. Please come and put your hands on her so that she will be healed and live.” 24 So Jesus went with him.

So this man Jairus, knows that his daughter is dying, and in what I think is an act of desperation, he goes to Jesus and beg him to save his daughter’s life.

Mark 5:38-42
38 When they came to the home of the synagogue leader, Jesus saw a commotion, with people crying and wailing loudly. 39 He went in and said to them, “Why all this commotion and wailing? The child is not dead but asleep.” 40 But they laughed at him.
After he put them all out, he took the child’s father and mother and the disciples who were with him, and went in where the child was. 41 He took her by the hand and said to her, “Talitha koum!” (which means “Little girl, I say to you, get up!”). 42 Immediately the girl stood up and began to walk around (she was twelve years old). At this they were completely astonished.

We see this girl physically healed. Sometimes God does physically heal us and our family and we need to be praying for that!

But also, Jesus healed that family in so many more ways. He brought Jairus to a place where he was face-to-face with the power of God in human flesh!

GIVING PEOPLE FAMILY WHO DON’T HAVE FAMILY

I want to look at the relationship between Paul and Timothy.

Acts 16:1
Paul came to Derbe and then to Lystra, where a disciple named Timothy lived, whose mother was Jewish and a believer but whose father was a Greek.

Timothy doesn’t have a spiritual father figure, and at the same time, we see that Paul who has no wife, and no kids. So, Paul basically adopts Timothy as a spiritual son.

1 Timothy 1:2
To Timothy my true son in the faith

1 Timothy 1:18
Timothy, my son

2 Timothy 1:2
To Timothy, my dear son

2 Timothy 2:1
You then, my son

We see Paul and Timothy travel together sharing the Gospel, we see them write letters together, we see them strategize church growth together, and we see Paul encouraging and strengthening Timothy. They’re like…. FAMILY! That’s what Jesus does, He connects us in this room, in this church as a family in a way that isn’t easily broken.