"Who is my mother? Who are my brothers? And stretching out his hand towards the people, he said: Here are my mother and my brothers. Anyone who does the will of my Father in heaven, he is my brother and sister and mother."
Matthew 12 : 48
This passage of scripture may make us wonder why Jesus refused to stop what he was doing and go out to his mother and relatives. After all, we know that the Christian model places our parents and members of our family as being loved and respected. So, hearing these words from Jesus as he places his duty to his audience rather than to his relatives, especially his mother, seems almost unbelievable. We often read in our newspapers of relatives, especially elderly parents, being neglected, or even physically hurt, by those closest to them. Yet, the livelihood of a son or daughter may also make demands on them. So what is one to do? On this occasion Jesus felt his duty was to those who needed his presence and his help, for he was the only one who could discern their real needs. He knew his mother, and those with her, would understand his situation.
His mother, and those with her, knew that their need was not as great as that of the people—the lame, the poor, the weak—to whom Jesus gave his attention and help. This is a dilemma in many family lives and needs the help of the Holy Spirit in making the right decisions.
Prayer
May your Holy Spirit guide me Lord, when I need to make an important decision, especially when it involves the weak, the poor and those in any kind of need. Amen
