ARE YOU FAMILY?

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In Christ, Mark

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

While Jesus was still talking to the crowd, his mother and brothers stood outside, wanting to speak to him. Someone told him, "Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to you."

He replied to him, "Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?" Pointing to 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

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

If you’re like me, you value family.

I’ve been so very blessed to have two wonderful parents who loved me and raised me the right way. But I wasn’t the only one they raised for I had four other siblings, blessed with three sisters and a brother. Then, as if that wasn’t enough, I’ve been blessed to be married and have a family of my own, having raised two beautiful girls into adulthood (now 27 and 23).

Yes…family has been a part of my life from the very beginning whether I was on the receiving or giving end of upbringing.

Well, in keeping with this theme, today’s scripture is centered on family but not just any ordinary family but the family of Jesus.

For we read that as Jesus was “talking to the crowd”, His “mother and brothers stood outside”. They wanted to speak to Jesus so someone went up to Him and said, “Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to you."

Now, if this were you or I, we probably would have politely excused ourselves to go and see what our family members wanted, especially since one of them was our mother. But Jesus isn’t like the rest of us…and as we will see, He has a special point to make about family…family as He sees it.

For the person informing Him of His family’s presence must have been shocked (and maybe just a little bit confused) when Jesus said to him, "Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?"

If the question was just left there without an answer, anyone might have said to Jesus, “Your mother is Mary and she stands outside with your brothers waiting to talk to you Lord. That’s what was just said to you.”

But Jesus quickly gets to His point before anyone can respond, pointing to His disciples and saying, “Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother."

OK…now I get it Jesus. Your point is well taken.

For we can’t look at the family of Jesus as we do our worldly families…not by a long shot. For Jesus has a family unlike anyone else could ever lay claim to…a family that included everyone who would choose to carry out the will of His Father in heaven, thus making them akin to Him and His life. Matching DNA with Jesus could only happen if we contained likeness to the way He was created...as One who was sent to fully carry out God’s purpose…to give His life to pay the price for the sins of God’s children…for the transgressions of those He could only pray would one day be part of His family.

So where do you stand today? Would the way you live your life allow Jesus to call you His brother or sister?

If you are following the will of God the father who art in heaven, then you can believe in confidence that you are part of Jesus’ family.

And who wouldn’t want to have a brother like that?

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.

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