God’s choice to send his Son through a family emphasizes the importance of families. The family provides a person a sense of belonging and security. One grows into a family that provides every person a home, the set of connectedness and relations which gives a person rootedness and acceptability. As the saying goes, “Home is where when you go there, they have to take you in.”
The challenges of life can bruise or deeply wound us, but we can always find solace and sanctuary inside our home. The relatives of Jesus are upset and worried about their family member who is suddenly thrust to public exposure, to both praise and ridicule. Someone from the crowd brings to Jesus’ attention that his relatives are outside as he preaches inside the house.
Jesus is quick to take the opportunity to drive home a lesson. He emphasizes how his family has grown to include everyone who obeys the will of God. Jesus does not disparage his blood relations. He simply points out that with the coming of God’s Kingdom on earth, people must consider one another as brothers and sisters belonging to God’s family. Our family is a definite source of strength, but Jesus reminds us to go beyond our family.
Many cases of corruption in government stems from nepotism, political dynasties, or from an inordinate desire to provide a luxurious lifestyle to relatives. The relatives of Jesus have to learn that Jesus does not anymore belong merely to their clan, but that he has made their clan part of the larger family of God.
Jesus is teaching them to regard him in a different light, not anymore as a mere cousin or relative, but as God’s anointed who teaches everyone the ways of God. Jesus tells his relatives to snap out of their old way of thinking and allow God to surprise them with the newness and freshness of things.
Gospel * Mark 3:31-35
The mother of Jesus and his brothers arrived at the house. Standing outside, they sent word to Jesus and called him. A crowd seated around him told him, “Your mother and your brothers and your sisters are outside asking for you.” But he said to them in reply, “Who are my mother and my brothers?”And looking around at those seated in the circle he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.”
Source: “365 Days with the Lord 2026,” St. Paul’s, 7708 St. Paul Rd., SAV, Makati City (Phils.); Tel.: 632-895-9701; E-mail: [email protected]; Website: http://www.stpauls.ph.
