Sundays on Mark (7)

Continuing our simple Sunday reflections on the Gospel of Mark:

The arrival of Jesus’ mother and brothers into the overcrowded and charged atmosphere becomes a teaching tool to the crowd sitting gathered around this charismatic rabbi. The family are unable to get near to Jesus. And in a very Jesus-like way, he takes the opportunity afforded by unfolding circumstances to teach and challenge the listeners about his own identity and the nature of his mission.

‘Whoever does God’s will are my mother and brothers’ is an extraordinary claim. In saying this Jesus is explicity claiming he knows, and is doing, God’s will. Those who accept him will be part of the family of God. Here, I think, is the Messiah re-forming a renewed Israel around his own person and mission. The invitation is open to all the listeners.

PRAYER: Lord God, you give us ears to hear but also feet and hands to obey and do your will. Help us to have the courage and faith to be doers of your word as well as hearers. Amen.

Jesus’ Mother and Brothers

³¹Then Jesus’ mother and brothers arrived. Standing outside, they sent someone in to call him. ³²A crowd was sitting around him, and they told him, “Your mother and brothers are outside looking for you.”

³³“Who are my mother and my brothers?” he asked.

³⁴Then he looked at those seated in a circle around him and said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! ³⁵Whoever does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother.”