Today, the Gospel speaks about family relationships. In the first part of the Gospel, we read that Jesus is misunderstood by his own family. That is why his mother and brothers are trying to save him because many people are saying that Jesus is “out of his mind”. They interpreted his wonder-working activity as a sign of his “mental imbalance.” So it becomes the responsibility of the family to straighten him out.
In the social situations of the Jews of that time, family meant everything. In the Jewish tradition, parents are representatives of God and should take care of their children in the utmost serious manner. Honoring the father and mother is an important part of the Ten Commandments. It is not only for practical and humanitarian reasons a person honors the parents but it is also the way for honoring God.
In Matthew’s Gospel, when Jesus performs a miracle, people say: “Is he not the carpenter’s son? Is not his mother named Mary and his brothers James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas?” (Matthew 13:55). A family member must follow the traditions and customs of the family, and disobeying those customs met with severe disciplinary actions. Jesus must do the work of a carpenter rather than cure the illness and cast out demons. Throughout the Gospel, Jesus’ family members have to grow in their understanding of the nature and ministry of the person of Jesus.
Here, Jesus redefines the family relationship in his terms. “For whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.” (Mark 3:35). It means that we all belong to the family of Jesus when we do God’s will. It also means that any person who is connected to Christ belongs to this new and extended family. This relationship is not based on any external criteria. St. Paul in his letter to Galatians writes: “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free person, there is not male and female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (3:28).
Belonging to Christ brings us certain challenges as well as responsibilities. What happened to Jesus happened to his followers at the beginning of Christianity. Many were misunderstood and were even killed by their family members when they became Christians. In present-day society, the secular world also is trying to tell us that belonging to Christ and following his teachings is foolish. There is always the possibility in our life just like in the life of Jesus that we could be misunderstood by our friends, family, and coworkers because of our Christian faith and values. Then we must remember that we also have a family who is united around Jesus in a bond of love, familiarity, and loyalty far stronger than any blood relationship.
We all belong to an earthly family, which in a way defines our identity. It is from the school of that family we learned about love, most probably received our faith, and where we begin to share our sorrows and joys. Let us elevate in prayer, our relationship with other family members, and ask God to bless our earthly family. If there is anyone who needs the healing touch of Jesus, let us pray for that person at this moment. If there is a wound to be healed in our family relationship, we ask Jesus to heal it. No matter what happens in our lives, we belong to the family of Jesus and Jesus belongs to us. Let us totally surrender ourselves and our families to the will of God so that we become part of God’s family.
Rev. Dr. Mathew Charthakuzhiyil