The Family

“For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven, that person is My brother and sister and mother.” (Matthew 12:50)

The mother and brothers and sisters showed up one day and wanted a word with Jesus. Luke, who evidently had some personal conversations with Mary, added that the reason they went was because they thought He’d gone crazy. They heard He was working all day, not eating much, and getting into some hot water with the religious locals. Word travels. We don’t know if they ever got that word with Him. The Scripture doesn’t tell us. All it tells us is what Jesus said in response to their coming. He looked around the room and said, “So, who is My mother and brother and sister?” Then came the verse mentioned above, “For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven, that person is My brother and sister and mother.”

Our human family ties are of great importance to us. Some of them treat those relationships like they are treasures, and so they are. But there is another family kind of relationship that is actually far stronger than these. Those who are spiritually related to one another in Christ have an eternal family relationship, bonds that nothing and no one can break. These relationships help to form the core of our true identity. These relationships are united by a mutual commitment to the will of God.

Lord, Today we celebrate the unity we have in You, and we celebrate the spiritual family we are part of. Amen.