HOST: Michael Whitworth
While he was still speaking to the people, behold, his mother and his brothers stood outside, asking to speak to him. But he replied to the man who told him, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”
On the surface, it may seem that Jesus was being disrespectful toward His mother and brothers in disregarding their request. Why would He not speak to them? Why make the statements He made concerning them? To understand what Jesus does and says here, we must understand that Jesus was always focused on His mission and was always looking for opportunities to teach. This request from his family provided just such an opportunity. Jesus’ purpose here was not to disrespect His physical family, but to make the point that there is an even more important spiritual family made up of those who are obedient to God. Jesus wanted His followers, then and now, to understand the importance of being His disciples and of the relationship with God that comes through that discipleship. There is no greater family that we can be a part of than the family of God!
Why is being part of God’s spiritual family so important?
Don’t forget to pray and have a great day!
