Hey everybody! Thank you for joining me in daily Bible reading as we seek to glorify Jesus, know Him more, and interpret the truth of His Word.
If this is your first time going through the Bible, I am incredibly excited to have you here. If this is your 5000th time, I am humbled that you are here and hope you grow in your relationship with Jesus along with me. May we all seek to know Him more and apply what we learn to further our mission of spreading the gospel. If you missed a day and want to catch up, visit the archives page HERE! But there is no shame if you start today! Day 145, Matthew 12:46-50 — The Family of God Matthew 12:46-50 (NASB1995) “While He was still speaking to the crowds, behold, His mother and brothers were standing outside, seeking to speak to Him. 47 Someone said to Him, ‘Behold, Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside seeking to speak to You.’ 48 But Jesus answered the one who was telling Him and said, ‘Who is My mother and who are My brothers?’ 49 And stretching out His hand toward His disciples, He said, ‘Behold My mother and My brothers! 50 For whoever does the will of My Father who is in heaven, he is My brother and sister and mother.’” Discussion Yesterday, we exegeted Jesus’ parable about unclean spirits who return to people they formerly possessed. The ‘unclean spirits’ are a parabolic response to failed exorcisms by the Pharisees. In v. 27, we learn that the Pharisees and their students can cast out demons, but it is implied that they lack the power or authority of God to cast them into the abyss. The parabolic image is of a formerly possessed person free of demonic influence. They were once captive to an unclean spirit but are now free. The house is their being, which is clean and organized, but unoccupied. Sadly, not all healed and delivered people put their faith in Christ. Because of this unwillingness to commit to Christ, they remained unoccupied, allowing the displaced demon to return to its previous residence. Jesus’ point is a warning to the Jews who have rejected Him as the Messiah. They will face an even greater judgment, far worse than before He came. Before, the Pharisees rejected God as they self-righteously oppressed poorer Jews and lived wicked lives far from Him. Now, they reject Jesus, God in the flesh, after witnessing many of His mighty works. Just as a man once possessed will be in a worse state when a demon repossesses him, the Jews who continue to reject Christ will be in a far worse state of judgment than before He revealed Himself. Today, we read about how Jesus accepts all who put their faith in him into the family of God. Matthew writes, “While He was still speaking to the crowds, behold, His mother and brothers were standing outside, seeking to speak to Him. 47 Someone said to Him, ‘Behold, Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside seeking to speak to You.’ 48 But Jesus answered the one who was telling Him and said, ‘Who is My mother and who are My brothers?’ 49 And stretching out His hand toward His disciples, He said, ‘Behold My mother and My brothers! 50 For whoever does the will of My Father who is in heaven, he is My brother and sister and mother.’” This passage refers to a much earlier time than where Matthew has it listed. Remember, the majority of Matthew’s gospel is topical, not chronological. We will reference the gospel of Mark for some much-needed context that Matthew omits. Both Matthew's and Mark’s accounts have similar details but different orders, so we will do our best to decipher each. Jesus and His disciples have journeyed far and wide as they labor for the kingdom of God by preaching the gospel, healing the sick, casting out demons, confronting the Pharisees, etc. But they have done so much that they have not had much time to visit home or even eat. Mark 3:20 says, “And He came home, and the crowd gathered again, to such an extent that they could not even eat a meal.” It seems the LORD and the twelve finished ministering for an undisclosed period and sought to rest at home, but the crowds followed and gathered outside. Mark clarifies that the crowds were so great that the disciples could not even eat a meal. Mark does not say exactly why they could not eat, but it might be because so many desperate people crowded Jesus or maybe even made their way inside. Regardless, Jesus did not stop to eat and began speaking to the crowds again instead. Mark 3:21 says, “When His own people heard of this, they went out to take custody of Him; for they were saying, ‘He has lost His senses.’” From Mark’s account, we see some people concerned for Jesus’ physical state. He is probably severely exhausted from His travels and evidently famished. Yet, He continues preaching, which instigates them to say, “He has lost His senses.” Certainly, He must have looked rough and starved to kindle such a phrase. Matthew 12:46 says, “While He was still speaking to the crowds, behold, His mother and brothers were standing outside, seeking to speak to Him.” Notably, Matthew 12:47 does not appear in most early manuscripts and is omitted in some translations (e.g., ESV) or listed with a footnote for clarification. It says, “47 Someone said to Him, ‘Behold, Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside seeking to speak to You.’” Interestingly, this phrase is mentioned nearly verbatim in Mark 3:32.[1] Mark 3:22-30 describes Jesus’ teaching about blasphemy of the Spirit and kingdoms divided, which we read earlier in this chapter (Matt. 12:25-32). Mark 3:31 then says exactly what see in Matthew 12:48-50 where Jesus’ mother and brothers come to Him. In Matthew 12:48, Jesus says, “Who is My mother and who are My brothers?” At first, Jesus’ response seems like a jab at His family, but He is not disassociating Himself from them. Instead, He is using this moment to expand on what it means to be family from a kingdom perspective. Matthew and Mark record Jesus’ response nearly verbatim, so we will read Matthew’s account. Matthew writes, “49 And stretching out His hand toward His disciples, He said, ‘Behold My mother and My brothers! 50 For whoever does the will of My Father who is in heaven, he is My brother and sister and mother.’” What a beautiful declaration! In the kingdom of God, all who put their faith in Christ and do the will of the Father are accepted into God’s family. We are no longer exclusively attached to our birth families but to our heavenly family in Christ. This does not mean we lose intimate relations with our birth family, but just that our eternal family includes all those in the faith. God is our Father, and we are all His children through faith in Christ and obedience to His will. We now have millions of brothers and sisters throughout the world and history that we will one day meet! We will begin Matthew 13 tomorrow. Application This is one of the most beautiful passages we have read to date. I must admit that I do not normally think about my kingdom family as a whole. With how busy and exclusive our lives can be, it is easy to forget that a spiritual family exists outside of our homes. At home, I have my wife and my cats. I also have my birth family and other relatives nearby, whom I think about and communicate with often. But then I also have numerous other brothers and sisters in my spiritual family. Those at my church and other churches around the city, state, etc. This was a convicting passage for me to think more about my spiritual family in Christ. To pray for them more, to communicate with them more, and to be more intentional in general. We are all one in Christ and we will one day all live together in eternity with our Father. May we praise, worship, honor, and glorify Jesus every day in all that we do while continually pursuing righteousness, holiness, and forgiveness as He forgave us. Looking Ahead Thank you for joining today’s daily Bible reading! Next, we read Matthew 13:1-4, 18-19. I hope you join me! I have made commenting available, so please feel free to discuss the reading and ask questions. If you do not want to discuss publicly, you can reach out to me privately. We are on this journey together. References [1] Mark 3:32 (NASB), “A crowd was sitting around Him, and they *said to Him, “Behold, Your mother and Your brothers are outside looking for You.”
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