But He answered and said to the one who told Him, “Who is My mother and who are My brothers?” And He stretched out His hand toward His disciples and said, “Here are My mother and My brothers! For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother.”
Matthew 12:48-50
This announcement must have troubled Jesus’ family. It must have offended them a little when they showed up to talk to Him and he gave their status to everyone there. I don’t think Jesus intended for it to exclude His family. It seems He was seeing things from the Father’s point of view. I believe it was a statement of inclusion not exclusion. Still it must have hurt for His family to have been relatively relegated to the same status as the crowd. I think this still gets those who are in ministry in trouble. We have trouble balancing our roles as public figures and personal. Jesus didn’t seem to have that trouble. He knew where His priorities were all the time.
Mary spent her whole life losing Jesus – her firstborn son. From the very beginning when the angel spoke to her she was promised that He would be great and the cost to her would be as though a sword had pierced her soul. Jesus slipped away a little when the shepherds showed up. He was made different by the wise men and the subsequent flight into Egypt. When He was twelve He told His parents He had to be about His Father’s business. Now He has given even more of Himself away. This is just a preview for the terrible day not so far off when He will announce John as her son from the cross.
Fortunately, Jesus has not put us in the same awkward position He was in as Savior of the World. Scripture instructs us that family is our first ministry. Husbands love your wives, children obey your parents, wives honor your husbands, and children and grandchildren show piety by taking of the elderly in their family. Jesus did all of the things that we are commanded to that are relevant to His life. He wasn’t married so He didn’t have to take care of a spouse and children but He did arrange for care for His mother even while dying on the cross. Even as Savior, He took care of His mother’s final years.
As a minister I cannot shirk my duty to my calling or to my home. Sometimes I will have to offend the people I love the most but I will always lovingly fulfill my responsibility to them. It is an important way for me to be like Jesus. In this life we will eventually lose each other to death so it is important to love our families while we can and to provide love and care for them even after we are gone. Jesus, help me keep your priorities. Don’t let me be driven by emergencies. Let me be a good steward of the resources that you have provided so that I can touch everyone You have called me to. When my resources are short let me bring them to You so that you can multiply them like you did the little boy’s lunch, feeding the crowd and still having a basket left over for each disciple.
Counting On Him,
Pastor Jason
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