“Then His mother and His brothers arrived, and standing outside they sent word to Him and called Him. A crowd was sitting around Him, and they said to Him, ‘Behold, Your mother and Your brothers are outside looking for You.’ Answering them, He said, ‘Who are My mother and My brothers?’ Looking about at those who were sitting around Him, He said, ‘Behold My mother and My brothers! For whoever does the will of God, he is My brother and sister and mother.’” Mark 4:31-35

Jesus asks a subtly profound question. Who are your relatives? To make the point, he then contrasts those who do the will of God with members of his own family including the beloved Mary.

Are you related to Jesus?

Jesus points us to the great truth that real relationship runs deeper than genetics. He told some who were physical descendants of Abraham that Abraham was not their father. How could Jesus make such a claim?

Their deeds gave them away. They sought to kill him and so showed that their father was the devil. They did the deeds of their father and therefore Jesus said they were the devil’s children.

Who do you consider to be your people? Are they the same color as you? Do they sound just like you when they talk? Do they drive a car like yours? Does the college football team they root for affect your fellowship? Such things mean nothing to Jesus.

If these things mean nothing to him, should they mean anything to us?

But if obedience to God made folks “family” to Jesus it seems to me that it should automatically make them my kind of people as well.