The Gospel according to Luke (8:19-21)
The mother of Jesus and his brothers came to him
but were unable to join him because of the crowd.
He was told, “Your mother and your brothers are standing outside
and they wish to see you.”
He said to them in reply, “My mother and my brothers
are those who hear the word of God and act on it.”
Reflection:
Today’s Gospel is quite short, but it does pose some dilemmas for us. First, did Jesus really have “brothers”, meaning other sons of Mary? Second, would Jesus really dismiss His own blood relations in such a way? Third, how can we understand this short passage and apply it today?
I’ve written about this particular Gospel several times by now, and wanted to add just this one extra comment on the “brothers” of Jesus (since this encounter also appears in Mark’s Gospel, though told differently). I’ve mentioned before that the language spoken at the time used one word which is rendered “brother” to mean close relations (cousins) as well as siblings. These “brothers” of Jesus are likely His cousins, and not children of Mary. The other point we can mention concerns Jesus, giving His mother to the beloved disciple John at the foot of the cross in John 19:26-27. Hebrew society would never allow that to happen if Mary had other children – one of them would have been expected to care for her. That didn’t happen, so obviously, Mary had no other children, other than Jesus.
And, as to that second and third question I posed, I would suggest this: the stories we have from the Gospels were first written in Aramaic or Greek and translated for us to have them in English. There are certainly a number of “turns of phrase” that don’t make that translation very well. Furthermore, we have to always bear in mind that the Gospel stories, and indeed *all* Scripture is there for us to learn something about the love of God for each one of us. It’s hard with our modern minds, but we have to try to keep the “big picture” in mind. The “big picture” here is that being a part of God’s family (and being a “brother” of Jesus) is not about blood relationship. It is about living out the faith that we profess, “acting” on the word of God, and shining Jesus light of love and mercy to all we meet.
I’m reminded about family in particular, as Linda and I went to my uncle Rich’s funeral in Northern California this past weekend. My parents did not really maintain close contact with their relatives that I recall. I only saw my uncle & aunt & cousins a small handful of times in my youth. But, I knew that they were part of my family, even if I didn’t see them. I wish now that I had tried to make a better effort to stay in touch with them. The last time I had seen them was a couple of years ago when we happened to be in the area, and I remember the warmth of their welcome. The point I’m trying to make is that we are called to share that kind of love and warmth with all of God’s children, and to love without limit or expectation. That’s what Jesus asks of us, and when we live our faith out, we have the chance to participate in Jesus’ mission to the world. What a wonderful joy that is!
Action for the Day:
Pray for all who have wandered away from the faith, or who have never heard the Good News of Jesus, that they may listen with an open heart and mind, and experience that same love and care that we do. Pray, too, that if you have a chance to share about how Jesus has worked in you, you are able to share from the heart, and extend His Kingdom. Or, as St Francis is famously said to have commented: “Preach the Gospel at all times, and when necessary, use words.”
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