Who is Jesus´Mother?

As an answer he said to the one telling him: ¨Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?¨  Matthew 12:48 (Reference Bible)

In these final verses of Matthew 12 we find the story of Jesus where His mother and His brothers came to visit Him.  They stood outside the crowded place and asked someone to tell Him they were there.  But Jesus´ response seems a little harsh when instead of rushing out to see them or have them brought to Him, He rather points to His followers gathered around Him and says ¨These ARE my mother and Brothers.¨  (Verse 49)

Immediately after saying this Jesus clarifies himself by saying that those who do the will of His Father in heaven are the ones who are truly His family.

Now our worldly tendency is to bring all things down to our level where we can touch, prove, investigate and come to conclusions, and with this attitude we almost certainly would say that He was speaking figuratively because it is obviously impossible to dispute who was a blood relative or not.

We need to remind ourselves often that things are not always as they seem and that when and if there is doubt, we should rather hold Jesus, God the Father and the Holy Scriptures to be right even where our powers of deduction fail us.  Call it faith if you will, but the simple truth is that when we talk of spiritual and eternal things, we are not the final authority.  How can we be since we have never been there nor seen the things of which we speak?

The best we can do sometimes is lean a little harder on Jesus, hope on Him more and trust that things are the way He says they are.  Words in fact are used to express things and are bent around every day and in every language to mean this thing or that.  But Jesus was called the Living Word and perhaps we should bow our heads and lift our hearts before puffing up with pride and boasting our superior interpretations.

Therefore when we arrive at texts like the one we examine today.  We know that Jesus usually spoke above our heads and used our words to describe eternal and spiritual things.  His bent was always directed to His Father and in bringing glory to His name.  This describes a relationship and places EVERYTHING, whether thought, word or deed, to its direct relation to God.

So if the very intention behind everything was in relationship with God the Father, it should seem natural that those people who are truly living in correct and close relation to Him, should be considered to be associated, or ¨family¨ to Him.

In the greater kingdom to come, the one which we cannot yet see, all things will take on a new light.  All the rules that govern our current environment will be drastically changed.  We will not depend on the same laws of nature or of men.  The new kingdom will be dependent directly upon the King and all things will run according to His will, this is the hope and the joy of the saints who are looking forward to this coming kingdom.

Therefore the persons who will inhabit our Savior´s kingdom will be those who are found in perfect relationship with Him.  This will be a true family in the purest sense of the word.  This will be a family that goes past blood, fire, space and time.  This will be a family that was formed by the Creator Himself who proceeds time, language, creation and procreation.  If this is not exciting enough one can grab a dictionary and look up the words; relation, family, mother and brother.

But whatever you may find in your attempt to draw closer to Jesus today, the words should all serve to lift your spirit when you meditate and contemplate sharing and being part in the family of God.

Dear Lord, thank You for Your love and the grace You´ve shown by inviting us into Your family.  Please help us where lack of desire, understanding or ability creep in and draw us we pray ever closer to You.  Let us be included in those Jesus motions to and mentions as His brothers and His mother.  Help us to be found doing and seeking Your will in all things today and for ever more.

In the name of Your Son, we pray,

Amen

Scott W