“While He was still speaking to the people, behold, His mother and His brothers stood outside, asking to speak to Him. But He replied to the man who told Him, “Who is My mother, and who are My brothers?” And stretching out His hand to His disciples, He said, “Here are My mother and My brothers! For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother.” ~Matthew 12:46-50
When Jesus’s family came looking for Him, He made a bold statement: Those that do the will of God, His Father, are His true family. This did not negate His nuclear family on earth, but redefined family telling us that all who belong to Jesus are family, His family. When Jesus was on the cross, He made sure Mary, His mother, was taken care of by putting her in the care of John.
“When Jesus saw His mother and the disciple whom He loved standing nearby, He said to His mother, “Woman, behold, your son!” Then He said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” And from that hour on, the disciple took her to his own home.” ~ John 19:26-27
Jesus’s nuclear and spiritual family came together as one.
This is still true for us today. In Jesus, we are all family and are charged to care for one another as the church. This will look different depending on where you are, but we are called to love each other just as Christ loved us.
In our individualistic society, family is threatened at all levels, but this is particularly seen in church family easily falling prey to the ideology of individualism. We may have the idea of working together at home as a family unit, but we will not ask for help because we can do it on our own and are expected to do it on our own.
This is not Scriptural.
We NEED each other!
Yes, we are to care for our family. Yes, we are all to do our part. But the church is meant to work together in all areas of life. Why? So those outside will be drawn in by the love of God as they see us loving each other and working for the glory of God.
“By this all people will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” ~John 13:35
God has given us each other, the Body, as a gift! Nuclear and extended families are related by blood, adoption or marriage. But in the Church we are bound by the Blood of Christ.
Because of this the family is far beyond the nuclear. Blood runs deep and in Christ it is the deepest connection that we can experience.
During the coming weeks will be looking at what this means more deeply. I hope you will join us and share what God is doing in your local Body and how He uses different people together for His Kingdom and His glory. How does the concept of the church being your family speak to you? Please share your thoughts with us!