Our paragraph topic is: (Jesus and His brethren).
In the midst of his prophecy concerning the Pharisees, Christ is interrupted and someone said to him, "Behold, thy mother and thy brethren are standing outside, seeking thee." For while he was still speaking to the crowds, his mother and his brethren were standing outside, seeking to speak to him.
Christ uses every opportunity to teach. He uses every opportunity to open eyes and to challenge minds to understand truths. He has finished taking to task the Pharisees and now he uses this opportunity concerning his relatives to demonstrate that we are all children of God. We are all family. We are all brothers and sisters and mothers, belonging to Christ and to God. For this must have been a shocking expression to the people standing about him that he would not stop what he was doing, give precedence to his family, mother and brothers, to speak with them. But Christ seized upon the moment to challenge the minds of the people to think beyond the flesh. He challenged the crowd to expand their minds, their thoughts, their feelings, their understanding of who they were and the family they belonged to.
Christ asked the man who told him of his relatives, '' Who is my mother and who are my brethren?" This was a question that must have shocked the man and the crowd for they knew Mary and the relatives of Christ. Some had spoken with Mary. Some knew where she was from. Some knew his brothers. So for Christ to ask this question must have shocked the crowd that he would not know who they were or that he would ask who they were. But Christ wanted to teach. He wanted to inform. He wanted the people to know who they were and the family they were a part of.
And stretching forth his hand towards his disciples, he said, "Behold my mother and my brethren!" And this demonstration must have been even more proof that something was wrong. For Christ had, in the eyes of the crowd, forsaken his natural mother and brothers for the disciples. He had called and spoken of them as though they gave birth to him, which could imply such dishonor to his natural mother. But Christ was a teacher. Christ was a healer. Christ was the Messiah and he had to shock the people to wake them up from their dream world that they may know who they were and know their heavenly family.
Christ did not bring dishonor to Mary. He did not bring slight to his brothers. But, what he did do is to help the people put in perspective their relationship to each other. For we are all brothers and sisters and mothers of each other. For Christ then told the crowd, "For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven, he is my brother and sister and mother." For who gives birth to Christ? Who is related to Christ? Who is the sister of Christ? He who carries the spirit of Christ within him and does the will of the Father in heaven and on earth is the mother and brother, and sister of Christ.
And Christ taught. He showed the people that he should spend no less time with those who are his natural mother and brothers than with those who are his spiritual brothers and sisters and mothers. For spiritual mothers give birth to the spirit of Christ in their children when they do the will of God. And spiritual brothers carry the message of Christ within them and spread the good news of the kingdom of heaven. And spiritual sisters marry and love those who need the love of Christ in their lives that they may in turn bring forth the eternal life of Christ in others.
We all are brothers and sisters and mothers of Christ when we do God's will. Are you a mother of Christ? Are you a brother of Christ? Are you a sister of Christ? The will of God is the tie that binds us all in one heavenly family. Do you belong to the family?
In the midst of his prophecy concerning the Pharisees, Christ is interrupted and someone said to him, "Behold, thy mother and thy brethren are standing outside, seeking thee." For while he was still speaking to the crowds, his mother and his brethren were standing outside, seeking to speak to him.
Christ uses every opportunity to teach. He uses every opportunity to open eyes and to challenge minds to understand truths. He has finished taking to task the Pharisees and now he uses this opportunity concerning his relatives to demonstrate that we are all children of God. We are all family. We are all brothers and sisters and mothers, belonging to Christ and to God. For this must have been a shocking expression to the people standing about him that he would not stop what he was doing, give precedence to his family, mother and brothers, to speak with them. But Christ seized upon the moment to challenge the minds of the people to think beyond the flesh. He challenged the crowd to expand their minds, their thoughts, their feelings, their understanding of who they were and the family they belonged to.
Christ asked the man who told him of his relatives, '' Who is my mother and who are my brethren?" This was a question that must have shocked the man and the crowd for they knew Mary and the relatives of Christ. Some had spoken with Mary. Some knew where she was from. Some knew his brothers. So for Christ to ask this question must have shocked the crowd that he would not know who they were or that he would ask who they were. But Christ wanted to teach. He wanted to inform. He wanted the people to know who they were and the family they were a part of.
And stretching forth his hand towards his disciples, he said, "Behold my mother and my brethren!" And this demonstration must have been even more proof that something was wrong. For Christ had, in the eyes of the crowd, forsaken his natural mother and brothers for the disciples. He had called and spoken of them as though they gave birth to him, which could imply such dishonor to his natural mother. But Christ was a teacher. Christ was a healer. Christ was the Messiah and he had to shock the people to wake them up from their dream world that they may know who they were and know their heavenly family.
Christ did not bring dishonor to Mary. He did not bring slight to his brothers. But, what he did do is to help the people put in perspective their relationship to each other. For we are all brothers and sisters and mothers of each other. For Christ then told the crowd, "For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven, he is my brother and sister and mother." For who gives birth to Christ? Who is related to Christ? Who is the sister of Christ? He who carries the spirit of Christ within him and does the will of the Father in heaven and on earth is the mother and brother, and sister of Christ.
And Christ taught. He showed the people that he should spend no less time with those who are his natural mother and brothers than with those who are his spiritual brothers and sisters and mothers. For spiritual mothers give birth to the spirit of Christ in their children when they do the will of God. And spiritual brothers carry the message of Christ within them and spread the good news of the kingdom of heaven. And spiritual sisters marry and love those who need the love of Christ in their lives that they may in turn bring forth the eternal life of Christ in others.
We all are brothers and sisters and mothers of Christ when we do God's will. Are you a mother of Christ? Are you a brother of Christ? Are you a sister of Christ? The will of God is the tie that binds us all in one heavenly family. Do you belong to the family?
