46 While Jesus was still talking to the crowd, his mother and brothers stood outside, wanting to speak to him. 47 Someone told him, “Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to you.”
48 He replied to him, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” 49 Pointing to his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers. 50 For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”
Read Matthew 12:46-50 in context and/or in other translations on BibleGateway.com!
One thing I see that is interesting in this passage is that Jesus does not seem to actually leave the crowd to go out to see His mother and siblings. Instead, He turns the news that they are outside into a teaching moment that helps draw our attention onto something bigger than simply the immediate issue.
Right in the middle of teaching a group of people, someone speaks up with a message for Jesus: “Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to you.” (v. 47)
Jesus replied to the man, “‘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.’” (v. 48-50)
While Jesus is not discounting the role of His biological, human family, He wants to instead draw our attention onto God’s bigger goal for each of us – and that is to become a member of His family.
The disciples had left their occupations and families to travel around the country with Jesus. These disciples in a way had symbolically chosen to join a new family Jesus had invited them into. This short but powerful event helps teach us something about God’s character and His love for us: God is more interested in inviting us into His family than He is about keeping us as mere acquaintances. Jesus loves each of us so much that He left Heaven and became human, to help bridge the separation that sin caused.
The whole Godhead wants to adopt us. Do you want to accept God’s invitation?
This thought was inspired by studying the Walking With Jesus “Reflective Bible Study” package. To discover insights like this in your own study time, click here and give Reflective Bible Study a try today!
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