Brothers and Sisters



Matthew 12:46-50
46While he was still speaking to the people, behold, his mother and his brothers stood outside, asking to speak to him.
48But he replied to the man who told him, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?”
49And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers!
50For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”

A few years ago, I heard an interview with a teenage movie star on The Tonight Show. He was the hot item of the moment in Hollywood and Jay Leno was asking him about what it must be like with his parents and siblings now that he was famous. Jay wanted to know if he got treated any differently at home. His response was, “No, I get to take out the garbage and rake the leaves just like everyone else.” Family members are rarely impressed by fame, I guess.

As Jesus is mobbed by the crowd and harassed by the Pharisees, He too has family members who see Him differently than anyone else. In the incident recorded in our reading for today, those family members want to get a minute of Jesus time. We aren’t told why or what they want to say to Him; simply that they were looking for Him. Jesus response to that request is a little unexpected. He takes this opportunity to reframe just exactly who His family members are. He points to the disciples who love Him and believe in Him and declares them to be his “brothers and sister and mother.” If you believe in Jesus, you are family. Historically, we know that Jesus half-brothers (since God was Jesus biological Father, and Jesus’ brothers had Joseph as their father) did not believe He was the Messiah until after His resurrection, at which point they become leaders in the burgeoning church. So in that sense, they did not yet fall into Jesus’ new definition of “His family”.

But as believers, we do fall into that category. Jesus looks upon the believer and calls them “brother” or “sister”. It is perhaps easier for us to see ourselves as followers, students, even sheep. But Jesus sees us as brothers and sisters; those people you work with at home and who eat dinner with you. Your family members know you at your best and at your worst and they are the ones who love you the most. My family members see me in my jammies and even take out the garbage. We live together – for eternity.

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