Hey Everyone,
This is my reflection on today's reading, according to the Roman lectionary. This is the passage in Matthew's Gospel when Mary, Mother of God, and Jesus' brethren come to look for him.
My audio Bible reading is on my site here: Daily Bible Verses | Christian Faith And Family | Gospel Prayer In Christ | Jesus’ Disciples Are His Family – Listen To the Bible! | King James Audio Bible | KJV | King James Version
My reflection and the KJV text go like this:
46 ¶ While he yet talked to the people, behold, his mother and his brethren stood without, desiring to speak with him.
47 Then one said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren stand without, desiring to speak with thee.
48 But he answered and said unto him that told him, Who is my mother? and who are my brethren?
49 And he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren!
50 For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.
We learn in Mark’s Gospel that Jesus’ friends are concerned about Jesus, thinking that he is beside himself, and intending to restrain him (Mark 3: 21). Shortly afterwards, in Mark’s Gospel, Mary and others of Jesus’ family make the journey recounted in today’s Gospel verses to try to see Jesus.
Jesus’ reaction may seem quite strange to us, and it has been said by some that these Gospel verses, together with other teachings of Jesus concerning the family, tell us that Jesus was to some extent alienated from his own family, that his mission had set Jesus at odds with his family, hence perhaps his moving some distance away.
It is important to think of the role of the extended family, or clan, in Jesus’ time when making sense of Jesus’ remarks in these verses. The family – the large family – was the basis for social living. It was through the family that values and identity were transmitted. The family constituted such security as people had. The family was at the heart of a prayerful relationship with God. And, through the family, one could come to own property.
It was through the various oppressions of the Jewish people, in terms, for example, of occupation, taxation and threats of violence, as through some absorption of a Hellenistic individualistic mentality, that families had tended to close in upon themselves, to look after their own interests at the expense of larger community. Religious prescriptions and proscriptions, the laws of ritual purity, similarly excluded many people from healthy community and family life. Many were marginalized: women, children, Samaritans, foreigners, lepers, possessed persons, tax collectors or publicans, the sick, mutilated persons and paraplegic persons. The concept of family needed opening, to become inclusive, to include all in God’s family, such that all might know they were and are accepted by God.
And so Jesus makes this grand gesture, using the opportunity of his mother’s and brothers’ visit to enlarge for all the notion of Christian family. All those present are privileged to be able to call Jesus their brother. This is no mere form of words. The love we have for Jesus is a family love. We now are a part of Jesus’ family. The change in life, the new life, this gives to us all is palpable. Our concept of family now is not exclusive; it is all inclusive. We experience the joy of being a part of Jesus’ family each day.
...
Additionally, here is Psalm 21 I put up on YouTube - all likes and shares!
This is my reflection on today's reading, according to the Roman lectionary. This is the passage in Matthew's Gospel when Mary, Mother of God, and Jesus' brethren come to look for him.
My audio Bible reading is on my site here: Daily Bible Verses | Christian Faith And Family | Gospel Prayer In Christ | Jesus’ Disciples Are His Family – Listen To the Bible! | King James Audio Bible | KJV | King James Version
My reflection and the KJV text go like this:
46 ¶ While he yet talked to the people, behold, his mother and his brethren stood without, desiring to speak with him.
47 Then one said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren stand without, desiring to speak with thee.
48 But he answered and said unto him that told him, Who is my mother? and who are my brethren?
49 And he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren!
50 For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.
We learn in Mark’s Gospel that Jesus’ friends are concerned about Jesus, thinking that he is beside himself, and intending to restrain him (Mark 3: 21). Shortly afterwards, in Mark’s Gospel, Mary and others of Jesus’ family make the journey recounted in today’s Gospel verses to try to see Jesus.
Jesus’ reaction may seem quite strange to us, and it has been said by some that these Gospel verses, together with other teachings of Jesus concerning the family, tell us that Jesus was to some extent alienated from his own family, that his mission had set Jesus at odds with his family, hence perhaps his moving some distance away.
It is important to think of the role of the extended family, or clan, in Jesus’ time when making sense of Jesus’ remarks in these verses. The family – the large family – was the basis for social living. It was through the family that values and identity were transmitted. The family constituted such security as people had. The family was at the heart of a prayerful relationship with God. And, through the family, one could come to own property.
It was through the various oppressions of the Jewish people, in terms, for example, of occupation, taxation and threats of violence, as through some absorption of a Hellenistic individualistic mentality, that families had tended to close in upon themselves, to look after their own interests at the expense of larger community. Religious prescriptions and proscriptions, the laws of ritual purity, similarly excluded many people from healthy community and family life. Many were marginalized: women, children, Samaritans, foreigners, lepers, possessed persons, tax collectors or publicans, the sick, mutilated persons and paraplegic persons. The concept of family needed opening, to become inclusive, to include all in God’s family, such that all might know they were and are accepted by God.
And so Jesus makes this grand gesture, using the opportunity of his mother’s and brothers’ visit to enlarge for all the notion of Christian family. All those present are privileged to be able to call Jesus their brother. This is no mere form of words. The love we have for Jesus is a family love. We now are a part of Jesus’ family. The change in life, the new life, this gives to us all is palpable. Our concept of family now is not exclusive; it is all inclusive. We experience the joy of being a part of Jesus’ family each day.
...
Additionally, here is Psalm 21 I put up on YouTube - all likes and shares!