Who are My Brothers?

The story intrigues me.  While Jesus was speaking to a crowd he was told that his mother and brothers were waiting to speak to him outside (Matthew 12:46-50).  Why had they come?  Why were they waiting to speak in private?  Had they come to talk to him about some family matter?  Had they come to convince him to come home and come back to his rightful place as the head of the family and family business as the first born son?  Had they come to talk some sense into his head about this "son of man" stuff?

We have no record of them following him as disciples until after the resurrection.  Can you imagine how hard it was on them to be the mother or brother of Jesus?  What did the neighbors say?  What did they say in their family?  Jesus never said he would bring peace to a family if anything, he said there could be conflict in families because of him.  Matthew 10:34-36 "Do not suppose I have come to bring peace..."

Is that what was happening?  A family was about to deal with conflict?  Is that why they came that day?  When Jesus spoke the words of Matthew 10, was he speaking autobiographically? What we do know for sure is that Jesus wanted to bring a new dynamic to the family and he wants each of us who follow him to know a deep, real, family bond with him.  I must confess that I have not fully grasped that.  Jesus wants me to know him as a brother.  He wants me to have a family connection with him and with all who follow him.  "For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother." Matthew 12:50.

It is easier to accept that family connection with Jesus than to make that family connection with everyone else who follows him but that is our charge if we follow Jesus. There is an old saying that you get to pick your friends but you don't get to pick your family.  I think that is what Jesus is saying.   I need to work on that today.  We will all have a chance to work on it Sunday.

For the journey...

Tim