This morning I was reading in the Gospel of Matthew and I came across a passage I have read and thought about many times. Today, it struck me especially hard. Jesus had been teaching about division in the kingdom, true spirituality, and how to discern those who are really in the kingdom. At that time, someone interrupted him to let him know his family had arrived.
But Jesus looked around and asked, "Who is my family?" Then he answered his own question: "Whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother" (Matthew 12:50).
People identified Jesus' family biologically, but Jesus identified his real family with those who do God's will.
Why don't we accept this simplicity? Why do we seek to define "the family" by physical characteristics (social values, economic backgrounds, race) or spiritual characteristics that go beyond the doing of God's will (doctrines, religious practices)?
Let's stop dividing over non-essentials and find unity among all who do God's will.
But Jesus looked around and asked, "Who is my family?" Then he answered his own question: "Whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother" (Matthew 12:50).
People identified Jesus' family biologically, but Jesus identified his real family with those who do God's will.
Why don't we accept this simplicity? Why do we seek to define "the family" by physical characteristics (social values, economic backgrounds, race) or spiritual characteristics that go beyond the doing of God's will (doctrines, religious practices)?
Let's stop dividing over non-essentials and find unity among all who do God's will.
