Matthew 12:46-50 tells a story that has always bothered me.
Jesus is teaching a crowd of people, many of whom were teachers of the law and Pharisees, and His mother and brothers are standing outside. Because of the crowd, He couldn’t see His family members who were waiting to speak to Him.
We aren’t told whyMary and Jesus’ brothers wanted to speak with Jesus. We only know that Mary needed to speak to her first-born Son, and the crowds were keeping her from Him. Mary knew what Jesus was doing was important. She wasn’t trying to fight her way through the crowd; she simply sent a message to Jesus.
I do not know what Mary expected. Perhaps she figured she would wait patiently until Jesus had time to come to her. Perhaps she wished she lived in the era of cell phones so she could send Him a quick message. However, I’m pretty sure that she didn’t expect Jesus to respond the way He did: “Jesus asked, ‘Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?’” (Matthew 12:48 NLT)
We are not told Mary’s response to this. If I had been Mary, however, my innate insecurity would have kicked in, big time. I would have taken the response as a reproach, as though I were bothering Jesus, and I would have been angry at myself for causing this reproach!
But wait. Jesus goes on: “Then he pointed to his disciples and said, ‘Look, these are my mother and brothers. Anyone who does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother!’”
Perhaps at first glance, this wouldn’t have comforted me. My insecurity would have sent thoughts such as these running through my mind: Look! He’s replaced you!
But is this really what Jesus is saying?
Later in the New Testament, we find multiple places where believers are called children of God:
“For you are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus…There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male and female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus.“ (Galatians 3:26, 28 NLT)
Notice here the emphasis on the fact that everyone who puts their faith in Jesus is a child of God! And then the Apostle Paul goes on to say there is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male or female! Might he also have added to this list, “mother or brother”?
Then there’s Galatians 4:6-7: “And because we are his children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, prompting us to call out, “Abba, Father.”Now you are no longer a slave but God’s own child. And since you are his child, God has made you his heir.” (NLT)
Wow. What an honor! Not only are we no longer slaves to sin, but we are—heirs!
We’ll look at just one more: Romans 8:14-16: “For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, ‘Abba, Father.’For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children.” (NLT)
When we are God’s children, we are no longer a slave to fear!
Fear of what?
Fear that we are not acceptable to God! This verse makes it clear! God’s children no longer need to fear that God is not pleased with them! And to prove this, we have God’s Spirit in our hearts Who affirms that we are His children!
Of course, all of these verses were written after Jesus went back to Heaven, so Jesus’ disciples perhaps did not understand that they were considered brothers and sisters of Jesus, sons and daughters of God! In fact, Jesus has been giving some very harsh teachings to the Pharisees (See Vs. 1-45!), and it is possible that the innocent people in the crowd may have been left wondering where they stood with Jesus. In His love, Jesus is taking this as an opportunity—not to say His mother and brothers aren’t important—but to teach His followers the profound truth that they are also equals to Mary and His brothers in God’s kingdom, because they are children of God!
If you have never taken the time to imagine just what it means to be a child of God, I would encourage you to spend some time meditating on this. You will come away profoundly affected, for you will, personally, “See how very much our Father loves us, for he calls us his children, and that is what we are!” (1 John 3:1a NLT)
In His love,
Lyn
Lynona Gordon Chaffart
Author, Moderator, Acting Director, Answers2Prayer Ministries
