Scripture: “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.”
Matthew 12:46-50 ESV
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Observation: Recapping yesterday’s Daily Focus, Jesus further develops his assessment of this unrepentant generation’s perilous condition through a parabolic revelation. His stark illustration reveals four behaviors of the evil spirits that seek habitation in the unseen elements of God’s creation:
- They seek to occupy our human personalities but fail to maintain longevity under Christ’s reign (v.43).
- When ousted, they wander the ethereal aspects of our world but find no rest (v.43).
- Undeterred, they persist in regaining control of our wills by observing where we have left a void in the development of our spiritual character (v.44).
- And they shrewdly gather more evil spirits to establish a stronghold over our minds and wills (v.45).
For today’s reading, Mark tells us in his parallel passage that Jesus returned home and entered a house to teach a crowd who sat around him (Mark 3:20, 31). Teeming with keen listeners, the room included his disciples and those curious about his radical new teaching. During this time frame, Jesus’ mother and brothers learn of his whereabouts and send a messenger to request that he come and speak to them. The reason for their request is unknown and unimportant to Matthew, but Mark tells us his mother and brothers were concerned about his mental health (Mark 3:21).
As Matthew tells us, Jesus does not respond to his family’s request and instead seizes the moment as a teaching point. Following the rabbinical style of asking a question to deepen one’s understanding, Christ rhetorically asks the messenger, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” (v.48b ESV) And stretching out the same hand that extended a healing touch to the leper (8:3), Jesus answers his question to reveal another radical element about his kingdom that brings wholeness to his subjects: “…whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother”(v.50 ESV).
Takeaway: Most scholars agree that Jesus is not disparaging his blood ties. He will later denounce the religious leaders for encouraging fellow Israelites to neglect the care of their parents by contriving a loophole called Corban (Mark 7:11-12). And he will instruct John to care for his mother in his absence (John 19:26-27).
Our takeaway? Those who do the will of the Father are his closest ties and of eternal import. Indeed, when we enter his heavenly kingdom, we will become like the angels—no longer connected by our earthly marriages (Matthew 22:30). Still, we will find our eternal intimacy and joy collectively as the bride of our bridegroom (Christ). See Paul’s marriage imagery of Christ and his church (Ephesians 5:25-32) and John’s revelation of Christ’s return (Revelation 19:7-9; 21:2-9) for a fuller understanding.
Our part? We care for our families but give priority to the Father’s will. As mentioned in previous Daily Focus devotions, Jesus’ disciple John provides us with the most extensive discourse between Jesus and his disciples as they leave their last seder meal together and walk toward Gethsemane. Here, Jesus emphasizes that if his disciples love him, they will keep his commandments (14:15, 21, 23, 24; 15:10). This is not conditional love, for he died for us while we were still his enemies (Romans 5:7-8). It’s a cause-and-effect relationship: “We love because he first loved us” (1 John 4:19 ESV). Thus, we express our love toward him by obeying his good and righteous commands (which are the same as the Father’s will). And when we do, when we prioritize our love and obedience for the Father and Son, we will better love our families here and now.
Prayer: Father God, we thank you for loving us while we were your enemies at the unfathomable cost of sacrificing your Son. Still, we confess we struggle to walk out our love for both of you through obedience to your will. So, please help us submit to the refining work of your Holy Spirit and prioritize our love for and obedience to you and your Son so that we might also love our families well. Amen.
Rev. Gordon Green, M.Div., M.A. Counseling
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