Mark 3:31-35; Matthew 12:46-50; Luke 8:19-21
31 Then Jesus’ mother and brothers arrived. Standing outside, they sent someone in to call him. 32 A crowd was sitting around him, and they told him, “Your mother and brothers are outside looking for you.” 33 “Who are my mother and my brothers?” he asked. 34 Then he looked at those seated in a circle around him and said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! 35 Whoever does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother.”
I have read this scripture from time to time through the years, but I have read it much more frequently in the last few years. In Matthew, Mark, and Luke this passage is stated in similar ways. John does not contain a passage like this that I have found.
I have found this passage odd because it sounds so rude to me. However, it does not make any sense that Jesus would be rude to his family. That is not His character; therefore, it is my misunderstanding and misreading of this passage.
What is Jesus saying? At first glance it would appear that He is leaving his mother and brothers standing outside in the cold so to speak. But I think what Jesus is saying is that nobody is special including His own family; and everyone is special if we do God’s Will. Doing God’s Will makes us all mothers, fathers, brothers, and sisters in Christ…and that includes our blood relatives as well. In God we are all His beloved family
Carol
Bible Breath: Doing God’s Will / God’s beloved
