27 Jan 26 | Family, Faith, and the Will of God
Jesus prophetically redefines kinship around obedience to God, revealing the true structure of the Kingdom and the nature of belonging in the New Covenant.
The Gospel: Mark 3:31-35
The mother of Jesus and his brothers arrived at the house.
Standing outside, they sent word to Jesus and called him.
A crowd seated around him told him,
"Your mother and your brothers and your sisters
are outside asking for you."
But he said to them in reply,
"Who are my mother and my brothers?"
And looking around at those seated in the circle he said,
"Here are my mother and my brothers.
For whoever does the will of God
is my brother and sister and mother."
Today’s Takeaway
In this Gospel, Jesus does not reject His family but radically redefines what it means to belong to Him. Speaking within a culture where family loyalty was absolute, He teaches that true kinship is formed not by blood, but by faithful response to God’s will. Drawing on deep Old Testament covenant language, Jesus reveals Himself as the center of a new community shaped by obedience and love. This passage invites us to examine where our deepest allegiances lie and how we extend care, dignity, and responsibility to one another as members of God’s family in the Kingdom of Heaven.
In the Margins
It is important to note the setting for this passage. Jesus is in the house that is packed. He has just been confronted by relatives coming in and saying He is mad, as well as the scribes calling Him Satan. Word has now been sent to Him, showing that they could not get near.
In the first century, family loyalty was absolute, as was obedience to parents. This is why when the sons left their father, it was so striking. To publicly prioritize anyone over one’s kin would have been a major social misstep. Jesus questioning who His mother and brothers were would have even possibly been viewed as offensive. He is not challenging family obligations, though it could seem that way. In fact, He is stressing the ultimate allegiance in the eyes of God.
A point of clarification here is important. We know the mother in this situation to be Mary, but it is not clear who the brothers and sisters are as they are not named. We do know it is most likely close relatives as opposed to actual children of Mary. The Gospels were written in Greek, reflecting Semitic (Hebrew/Aramaic) thought. The word adelphoi (“brothers”) is used broadly and Hebrew/Aramaic do not have distinct words for close relatives such as cousins or nephews. Interestingly, in the Old Testament, this word is used to mean cousins, clan members, and kinsmen. In fact, Abraham and Lot are called brothers in Genesis, though Lot is Abraham’s nephew. Later, on the cross, Jesus entrusts Mary, his mother, to John. This would never be done and would violate family responsibility if biological sons existed.
What Jesus is ultimately doing here is forming a covenant community, not based on bloodline, but on response to God’s will. When He uses the “Will of God” language, this would have immediately brought forth excerpts from the Torah for those that heard it. In the Old Testament, this language is used to define covenantal faithfulness, it is how God’s people respond to God. Jesus is declaring that He is the locus of covenant obedience. This is a quiet, but bold part of the Gospels.
Jesus establishes a new familial connection, but that does not mean He has abolished the old structure. It points to how we are called to treat one another. It is how we look at each other and protect each other. If someone we love were suffering publicly, would we be able to look away? This Gospel invites us to consider how easily distance can form when relationships are no longer personal. When Jesus calls those who do the will of God His family, He reshapes how we are meant to see one another. It challenges us to ask whether we extend dignity, restraint, and care to others as we would to our own kin.
Jesus set a new standard. Those that are doing right by God are in a new type of family. A family that will share the Kingdom of Heaven.
Reflection Question
Where do I place my deepest sense of belonging— in familiar relationships, or in faithful obedience to God’s will?
A Small Invitation
If this reflection helped you, consider sharing it with someone who may be carrying more than they were meant to.