Matthew 12:43-50: a reflection

43“When an unclean spirit has gone out of a man, he passes through waterless places seeking rest, and doesn’t find it. 44Then he says, ‘I will return into my house from which I came;’ and when he has come back, he finds it empty, swept, and put in order. 45Then he goes and takes with himself seven other spirits more evil than he is, and they enter in and dwell there. The last state of that man becomes worse than the first. Even so will it be also to this evil generation.” 46While he was yet speaking to the multitudes, behold, his mother and his brothers stood outside, seeking to speak to him. 47One said to him, “Behold, your mother and your brothers stand outside, seeking to speak to you.” 48But he answered him who spoke to him, “Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?” 49He stretched out his hand toward his disciples, and said, “Behold, my mother and my brothers! 50For whoever does the will of my Father who is in heaven, he is my brother, and sister, and mother.”

When told that his mother and brothers are outside, Jesus points to his disciples and gives a striking definition of his true family: whoever does the will of his Father is his brother, sister, and mother. Whoever does the will of my Father who is in heaven, Jesus says, he is my brother, and sister, and mother. Stretching out his hand toward his disciples, Jesus declares a family that is not defined by blood alone, but by doing the will of his Father: those who do God's will are, to Jesus, his brother and sister and mother, bound to him in a kinship closer than blood. To do the Father's will is to belong to the family of Jesus. This shows that whoever does the Father's will is Christ's brother, sister, mother. Whoever does the Father's will belongs to the family of Jesus. A kinship with Christ is open to all who do God's will. To do the Father's will is to be bound to Christ as family. Christ counts those who do God's will as his own close kin.

Notice the family Jesus points to. When told his mother and brothers were outside, he stretched out his hand toward his disciples and said: here are my mother and my brothers; for whoever does the will of my Father is my brother, sister, and mother. He was not dishonoring his family, but revealing a deeper kinship: a family bound to him not by blood alone, but by doing the will of his Father. Those who do God's will are, to Jesus, his own close kin, his brother and sister and mother. This is a striking and gracious truth. To do the will of God is to be brought into the family of Jesus, to be counted by him as his own brother, sister, mother, bound to him in a kinship closer than blood. This kinship with Christ is open not to a few by birth, but to all who do the Father's will; and Jesus himself claims such as his own family. There is deep belonging offered here: that in doing God's will, we are not merely servants of Christ, but his family, his close kin, owned by him as brother and sister and mother. We do well to do the will of our Father, and so to belong to the family of Jesus, counted by him as his own. Do the Father's will, and belong to the family of Jesus. Christ counts those who do God's will as his own close kin. A kinship with Christ closer than blood is open to all who do God's will. In doing God's will, you are owned by Christ as his family.

That is worth taking to heart, for whoever does the will of the Father is counted by Jesus as his brother, sister, and mother, and we belong to his family in doing God's will, as Jesus declared, pointing to his disciples. We can think of ourselves as merely servants of Christ; but Jesus counts those who do the Father's will as his own close kin, his family, bound to him closer than by blood. Belong to his family. Do the will of your Father, and know that in doing it you belong to the family of Jesus, counted by him as his own brother, sister, and mother. Do the will of your Father in heaven, and belong to the family of Jesus, who counts those who do God's will as his own brother, sister, and mother, as when told that his mother and brothers were outside Jesus pointed to his disciples and gave a striking definition of his true family, saying that whoever does the will of his Father is his brother, sister, and mother; for stretching out his hand toward his disciples he declared a family not defined by blood alone but by doing the will of his Father, so that those who do God's will are, to Jesus, his brother and sister and mother, bound to him in a kinship closer than blood, and he was not dishonoring his family but revealing a deeper kinship, which is a striking and gracious truth, that to do the will of God is to be brought into the family of Jesus and counted by him as his own close kin, a kinship open not to a few by birth but to all who do the Father's will, which Jesus himself claims as his own family, so that there is deep belonging offered here, that in doing God's will we are not merely servants of Christ but his family, his close kin, owned by him as brother and sister and mother, so that we do well to do the will of our Father and belong to the family of Jesus.

Lord Jesus, when told that your mother and brothers are outside, you point to your disciples and give a striking definition of your true family: whoever does the will of your Father is your brother, sister, and mother. Whoever does the will of my Father who is in heaven, you say, he is my brother, and sister, and mother. Stretching out your hand toward your disciples, you declare a family that is not defined by blood alone, but by doing the will of your Father: those who do God's will are, to you, your brother and sister and mother, bound to you in a kinship closer than blood. Show me the family you point to. When told your mother and brothers were outside, you stretched out your hand toward your disciples and said: here are my mother and my brothers; for whoever does the will of my Father is my brother, sister, and mother. You were not dishonoring your family, but revealing a deeper kinship: a family bound to you not by blood alone, but by doing the will of your Father. Those who do God's will are, to you, your own close kin. This is a striking and gracious truth. To do the will of God is to be brought into your family, to be counted by you as your own brother, sister, mother, bound to you in a kinship closer than blood. This kinship with you is open not to a few by birth, but to all who do the Father's will; and you yourself claim such as your own family. There is deep belonging offered here: that in doing God's will, I am not merely your servant, but your family, your close kin, owned by you as brother, sister, and mother. Take that to my heart. Help me do the will of my Father in heaven, Lord, and so belong to your family, counted by you as your own close kin, that in doing God's will I may know myself not merely your servant but owned by you as brother and family.