THE FAMILY THAT MATTERS THE MOST TO JESUS
SCRIPTURE:
“While Jesus was still talking to the crowd, his mother and brothers stood outside, wanting to speak to him. 47 Someone told him, “Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to you.” 48 He replied to him, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” 49 Pointing to his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers. 50 For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.” (Matthew 12:46—50)
OBSERVATION:
Everyone was born into a family. A family is made up of people from the same descendants of a common ancestor. Here is an interesting thing going on. Jesus was speaking to a crowd when someone told him, “Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to you.” I noticed here that only Jesus’s mother and brothers are there and are mentioned, but no mention of his earthly father.
Jesus responded to the individual who told him of his mother and brothers waiting for him, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers? Jesus knew full well who his mother and brothers were. But he asked questions like who my mother is and who my brothers are.
Jesus was making the point that though our family has a role in our lives, ultimately, we must choose between our family and the WILL OF GOD. Sometimes, family becomes a hindrance in a believer’s life in doing God’s will. Jesus knew his purpose, and he was engaging in it when his mother and brothers were waiting to speak to him.
WHILE JESUS WAS STILL SPEAKING…engaging in doing the will of God, distraction came in the form of his mother and brothers. It does not mention what they wanted to speak to Jesus about, but certainly, while Jesus was engaging in the work of Christ at the same time, the family was waiting. What a sense of pressure.
My takeaway today is this: In terms of my relationship with Jesus and my family, I must choose to:
- I must first choose my priorities. My priority without Christ was always my family first. But when Christ came into my life, I tried my very best to have him be the center of my life. My first priority is my relationship with Jesus and learning to do his will.
- I must know and live in my new identity…My new identity is with Christ. Though my family is important, I must never allow them to come between me and Christ.
- Jesus pointed to another important point: I have two families. My physical family, my parents’ will, determines the foundation of my life, and my born-again family’s will is not by the will of the flesh but by the will of God.
- I must be careful of distractions even if it comes from my family.
- Sometimes our physical family does not always do the will of God.
We have a choice between our family and the will of God. Jesus pointed to his disciples and said, Here are my mother and brothers. For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother, sister, and mother. Ultimately we must choose between our family and the will of God. When we choose God’s will, our families are also part of his will in our priorities in life. But God must be the center at all times.
APPLICATION:
I am reminded that Jesus’s will must always come first. My priority is to have my Heavenly Father at the center of everything. I know that when I do God’s will, He will bless not only my life but also my family. I want to be a pleasing child of God who honors his will. I will continue to prioritize Jesus and his purpose and have him take care of my family.
PRAYER;
Lord, I thank you for reminding me of what is important in my life. Today, I submit myself afresh to do your will. I pray that you help me to hear you and follow you with all of my heart. I give you my family and I ask you to take care of them as I look to follow and obey you with my life. Thank you that you are the center of my life. I pray all these in the name of Jesus. Amen!
