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Commentaries
English
Mark
  
4. The True Family of Jesus
(Mark 3:31-35)
31Then His brothers and His mother came, and standing outside they sent to Him, calling Him.32And a multitude was sitting around Him; and they said to Him, “Look, Your mother and Your brothers are outside seeking You.”33But He answered them, saying, “Who is My mother, or My brothers?”34And He looked around in a circle at those who sat about Him, and said, “Here are My mother and My brothers!35For whoever does the will of God is My brother and My sister and mother.”


The kingdom of God divides families, friends, and societies, for the Holy Spirit carries those who believe in Christ to the new family of God, and gives them new friends in love, purity, and cooperative service, according to the will of the heavenly Father.
Jesus’ mother heard the news that the Jewish religious leaders came from the capital to Galilee to destroy her beloved Son. She ran with his brothers to insist on Jesus to leave his call and go back to his family, which lost Joseph, its breadwinner, many years ago. And when they could not get near to him because of the crowds, they sent some friends to him asking him to withdraw immediately from the crowd, and to come to an amicable understanding with them.
But Christ, the obedient Son according to the seventh commandment, obeyed his heavenly Father rather than his earthly mother. He emphasized his relation with the family of God before his membership to his bodily relations. This is the law and the work of the Holy Spirit: to establish us in the love of God before everything else, for the earthly families pass away, but he who is in fellowship with the Lord’s Spirit continues forever. Then who has the honor of membership in the family of the heavenly Father? None but he who does the will of God. And what is the will of God? It is faith in his Son Jesus Christ who saves you, changes you to his love, and gives you a divine power to carry out the will of the Most High. Then you leave your self-redemption, rely on the power of God’s Spirit, walk meekly, and become a peacemaker.
See here what a great honor it is to you to have Jesus call you his brother, or his sister, if you really became a member of his kingdom! The Son of God is calling you to his relation. Then you gradually rise above your earthly relations, and become strengthened in the guidance and wisdom of the Holy Spirit. Come into the family of God with thanks and praise.

Prayer
O Holy God, we are not worthy to be called your sons. But your only Son called us to your family that we may be united as his brothers and sisters. Sanctify us in our being, and purify us in our subconscious that we may become holy and without blame before you, as Christ is holy. Help us to carry out your love, to do your will every day, and to receive the power to walk rightly and abstinently. Help us particularly in our relations with our human families that we may serve them with wisdom and peace. If necessary, separate us from them if they refused your holy name. We rather desire that all of them are saved and brought to the knowledge of the truth. Please answer our prayers for them one by one. Amen.
Question
Who are Christ’s brother and sister?