8: 19-21 Jesus’s mother and brothers (Joseph and Mary’s later children) came to see him, but they couldn’t get to him because of the crowd. Someone informed Jesus that they were there, standing outside, and that they wanted to see him. Jesus replied, “My mother and my brothers are all those who hear God’s word and obey it.” Human relationships build around faith in Jesus, being open to one another and a shared obedience to God are more important than relationships with physical family members.
It took me awhile to understand this as at first. I thought Jesus was saying that he did not want to see his mother or his brothers. It was not that he did not want to see them or love them. He was teaching others about God’s word, loving and healing them, and these things were more important than connecting with family. As I began to meet other Christians and connect with them, I understood his message. That bond – to be able to meet with others who have genuine faith, to meet with those who are searching for and learning about God’s word, to talk about God’s word and how to apply it to all the things that are going on in our lives, is more important than even relationships with family members. To me, this does not mean to abandon family relationships; however, to have and maintain a balance of time with God, time with family and time with other followers of Jesus.