In most cultures, family relationships are extremely important.  The people who know us best should be those who show the greatest love and loyalty, which is why dysfunctional family life is so painful when the family stops thinking and working together like a team.  In today's account, Jesus was surrounded by His disciples and a crowd who had come to listen to His teaching.  So many people were there.  When His mother, Mary, and half-brothers (Matthew 13:55-56) came, they could not get through to see Him.  They passed a message through the throng of people. This was a special moment, and everybody wanted to know how the Master would treat His family in public.  Would He obey the fifth of the ten commandments, and give the greatest honour to His mother?

His response to the message would have been shocking to many, and still is to some.  It is helpful to go back to the episode when Jesus was 12 years old (Luke 2:41-50).  Mary and Joseph had taken Jesus to Jerusalem for the Passover festival but were unaware that they had left Him behind as they travelled back to Nazareth with a large group of family and friends.  They eventually found Him in the temple asking penetrating questions of the religious academics.  When they unfairly rebuked Him for ‘getting lost’, Jesus said, ““Why were you searching for me?” he asked. “Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?” But they did not understand what he was saying to them.” (Luke 2:49-50).

It seems that almost 20 years later they still did not understand who had authority in His spiritual family.  Although He obeyed the authority delegated to Mary and Joseph when He was growing up (Luke 2:51), they were only part of His Father's family, and not the head of it.  The head of His family was Father God; and as the Son of God, Jesus' highest responsibility was to His Heavenly Father.  It was His messages which took priority, and the way people responded to them identified who were the true members of His family (Luke 11:27-28).

Many people think that closeness to God is measured by time spent in prayer, Bible reading and corporate worship.  But Jesus said that we are 'close family' if we have an appetite for God to speak to us, and a desire to do what He says.  Religious rites mean nothing unless there is a willingness to obey God's Word.  Perhaps we assume that everything is fine between us and God because we agree with what He says.  But He wants more than passive acceptance: He is looking for an every-day eagerness to do it.  The people who do so are His close family (Luke 10:38-42).