Behold My Mother And My Brothers!

⏱️ 6 minutes.

Greetings, You Are Called by God

Today, let’s take a moment to look at Christ’s perspective on relationships:

“Then His mother and His brothers arrived, and standing outside, they sent word to Him, calling Him.”
— Mark 3:31

In this instance, Mark tells us that Jesus’ mother, Mary, the wife of Joseph, came to see Him. She was accompanied by His brothers. The term “brothers” could refer to His half-brothers, the children of Joseph and Mary, or even close relatives since “brother” was often used more broadly in that culture.

Earlier in Mark, we read that Jesus’ own family came to take custody of Him, believing He had lost His senses:

“And He came home, and the crowd gathered again, so that they could not even eat a meal. And when His own people heard this, they went out to take custody of Him, for they were saying, ‘He has lost His senses.’”
— Mark 3:20-21

Mark describes Jesus inside the house, with His family standing outside. Both Matthew and Luke record similar accounts:

“While He was still speaking to the crowds, behold, His mother and brothers were standing outside, seeking to speak to Him. Now someone said to Him, ‘Behold, Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, seeking to speak to You.’”
— Matthew 12:46-47

“And His mother and brothers came to Him, and they were unable to get to Him because of the crowd. And it was reported to Him, ‘Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, wishing to see You.’”
— Luke 8:19-20

In the culture of the day, just as today, parents held a position of authority in the family. Children were expected to honor their parents, in accordance with God’s commandments:

“Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be prolonged in the land which Yahweh your God gives you.”
— Exodus 20:12

The crowd around Jesus would have understood the importance of family authority and access. Therefore, when His family arrived, the people were quick to inform Him:

“And a crowd was sitting around Him, and they said to Him, ‘Behold, Your mother and Your brothers are outside looking for You.’”
— Mark 3:32

Naturally, we would expect Jesus to go out and speak to His family. However, in the accounts of Matthew, Mark, and Luke, Jesus responded in an unexpected way:

“And answering them, He said, ‘Who are My mother and My brothers?’”
— Mark 3:33

Jesus used this moment as a teaching opportunity. His question challenged the conventional understanding of relationships, which were often defined by genealogy. He was about to redefine the concept of family:

“And looking about at those who were sitting around Him, He said, ‘Behold My mother and My brothers!’”
— Mark 3:34

By answering His own question, Jesus implied that the people around Him, those who were His followers, were His true family. The response confused the crowd, who had seen themselves only as His disciples, not as His family. Jesus then clarified:

“For whoever does the will of God, he is My brother and sister and mother.”
— Mark 3:35

Here, Jesus offers a new definition of family, one that is rooted in spiritual connection rather than biological ties.

A Stronger Bond

Jesus’ description of His family emphasizes that those in the household of faith share a stronger bond than even genealogical connections. He later reinforces this idea when He speaks about true discipleship, highlighting the willingness to leave earthly ties for the sake of God’s kingdom:

“And He said to them, ‘Truly I say to you, there is no one who has left house or wife or brothers or parents or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, who will not receive many times more at this time and in the age to come, eternal life.’”
— Luke 18:29-30

This does not justify mistreating family members who do not share the same faith. As seen earlier, God’s law commands us to honor our parents, which is the first commandment with a promise:

“Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. Honor your father and mother (which is the first commandment with a promise), so that it may be well with you, and that you may live long in the land.”
— Ephesians 6:1-3

This stronger bond means that the household of faith should be willing to do more for each other than what a biological family might. Believers, having been purchased by Christ, no longer live for themselves but for Him. Moreover, they are indwelt by the Holy Spirit, enabling them to love one another sacrificially.

A Common Purpose

Jesus defines His family as those who do the will of God. This distinction draws a line between those who submit to God’s will and those who do not. He emphatically states that only those who follow God’s will are His true family. This aligns with the rights given to believers as stated in John:

“But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name.”
— John 1:12

The author of Hebrews emphasizes that God disciplines His children, and those who do not receive His discipline are illegitimate:

“But if you are without discipline, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate children and not sons.”
— Hebrews 12:8

Eternal Significance

Jesus also implies that those who do God’s will are bound together eternally because they have eternal life. Time and again, scripture uses the language of family and adoption to describe believers:

“For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.”
— Galatians 3:26-27

Paul further emphasizes this in his letter to the Ephesians, speaking of the adoption of believers into God’s family:

“By predestining us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will.”
— Ephesians 1:5

He also uses the language of heirship:

“The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, also heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.”
— Romans 8:16-17

It is important to understand the depth of the relationship we are called to as believers. Our spiritual relationships transcend earthly family ties, carrying eternal significance: