Reflection
Today’s Gospel challenges us to consider what relationships are most important in our life. The casual Christian may be bothered, even offended, by Jesus’ apparent rejection of his mother and relatives. But Jesus doesn’t want us to be casual Christians.
The relationship between a mother and child is the most important of all human relationships. The person who brings us into the world, cares for our every need when we are helpless infants and keeps us in her heart no matter what path we take in life, is always with us in spirit, if not in person. However, God our Creator, Savior, and Spiritual Guide, loves us with a perfect love that surpasses even a mother’s love.
Jesus is teaching the crowd, and us, that we must look at the world, and all our relationships from a spiritual perspective. Our most important relationship is always our relationship with God.
Jesus offered up his life on the cross for our sake, so that we could be forgiven and restored to unity and friendship with God. It is through Jesus that we become the adopted children of God. That is why Jesus told his disciples that they would have many new friends and family relationships in his kingdom. Whoever does the will of God is a friend of God and a member of his family - his sons and daughters who have been ransomed by the precious blood of Jesus Christ.
Our human relationships, especially within our families, are still very important. If our families have led us to Christ through Baptism, they have heard and obeyed God, who calls us to go and make disciples. Praise the Lord for their act of spiritual love.
Those who have been baptized into Jesus Christ and who live as his disciples join a new family, a family of "saints" here on earth and in heaven. Jesus changes the order of relationships and shows that true kinship is not just a matter of flesh and blood. Our adoption as sons and daughters of God transforms all our relationships and requires a new order of loyalty to God first and to his kingdom of righteousness and peace.
Today’s Question for Prayer and Reflection
Who do you love and cherish the most?