In today’s reflection, we delve into an episode from
the public ministry of Jesus, as recounted in Luke 8:19-21. This passage not
only sheds light on the dynamic between biological and spiritual relationships
but also offers profound insights into the nature of our connection with
Christ.
The Search for Jesus:
The scene opens with Jesus addressing a crowd, and
then His mother and brothers arriving, seeking to meet Him. While Luke’s Gospel
doesn’t explicitly state their purpose, the Gospel of Mark (Mark 3:20-22)
suggests they came because they believed Jesus was “out of his mind.”
Regardless of their motivation, their search for Jesus holds a significant
message. This reminds me of words of St Paul to the Corinthians saying: “For
the foolishness of God is wiser that man’s wisdom, and the weakness of God is
stronger that man’s strength.” (1 Corinthians 1: 25). Indeed God’s ways might
be surprising to us sometimes.
A Surprising Response:
Jesus’ response to those who informed Him of His
family's presence is remarkable. He declares, “My mother and my brothers are
those who hear the word of God and act on it.” In Matthew’s account, Jesus
extends this thought further, emphasizing that those who do the will of His
Father in heaven are His true family.
Elevating Relationships: What Jesus is communicating here transcends biological
ties. He invites us to ascend to a higher understanding of brotherhood and
kinship. By beginning with His own mother, Mary, He underscores that Mother
Mary’s identity goes beyond being merely the biological his mother. She is
foremost the one “who heard the word of God and acted on it, the one who did
perfectly well the will of the Father in
heaven.” It was thanks to her “Yes” to God’s call that the Word took flesh
in her, that salvation was brought to us.
A Universal Family: This revelation implies that anyone who aligns with
the will of the heavenly Father becomes part of the greater family of God and
can rightly call Jesus their brother. The beauty of this truth lies in the fact
that all who align with the divine will become brothers and sisters with Mary
as their mother. While those who share blood relations refer to themselves as
brothers and sisters, there is an even deeper and more profound brotherhood in
those who align with the will of God. This means that wants us to seek the will
of God and act on it. This is exactly what Jesus did, especially in the most
critical moments of his life; he prayed that not his will but the Father’s will
be done (Luke 22, 42). We believe that Jesus’ will cannot contain anything bad,
evil, yet he surrendered to God’s will. I believe that this is why lies the secret
of his mission successes.
Conclusion:
In contemplating this passage, we are prompted to
reconsider the nature of our relationships, emphasizing the spiritual
connections that transcend the boundaries of biology. The message from Luke
8:19-21 encourages us to view ourselves as members of a universal family of God
founded by Jesus and Mother Mary, bound together by our dedication to hearing
and acting upon the word of God. In doing so, we embrace the extraordinary
truth that we are indeed brothers and sisters in Christ.
Prayer moment:
Heavenly Father,
As we reflect on the words of Jesus in Luke 8:19-21,
we are reminded of the profound truth that we are not only bound by blood but
by our shared commitment to hear and act upon Your Word. We thank You for the
gift of spiritual kinship, for the understanding that we are all part of the
great family of God.
Help us, Lord, to embrace this universal brotherhood
and sisterhood with open hearts and open arms. May we always seek to do Your
will and, in doing so, strengthen our connection with You and with one another.
We pray for the grace to see beyond the confines of
biology and recognize the deeper bonds that unite us as followers of Christ.
Let this awareness guide our actions and relationships, that we may truly live
out the message of love and unity that Jesus exemplified.
We make our prayers through Christ our Lord! Amen.
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