Chris Campbell

‘Here are my mother and my brothers! Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.’

Beloved in the body of Christ,

Today's Gospel readings from Mark and Matthew speak to family, but not in the way we may normally think of it.

When I think of family I think of my Mom and Dad, my Grandmas and Grandpas, my uncles and aunts, and my many cousins. I think of the love and memories we've shared. I think of everything my parents have done for me and sacrificed to help raise me. But this is not what Jesus asks us to think of when we hear the word family.

…call no one your father on earth, for you have one Father—the one in heaven.

But how do we grapple with this? Are we meant to reject the ones who raised us? Jesus answers this question with a resounding "not exactly":

‘Who are my mother and my brothers?’ And looking at those who sat around him, he said, ‘Here are my mother and my brothers! Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.’

What we are being called to do is not reject those who love us, but to understand that our family is not just those who share our blood. Our family is in fact much wider than we thought before. Our family is all those who serve God!

When Jesus says "you have one Father—the one in heaven" this is reminding us that, no matter who our father may be on earth, we are all born with the same Father in heaven.

For some of us, who were blessed with a loving and supportive family, this is a difficult task, to think of expanding our understanding of family further than what we have known and loved. But for others this may be a blessing, to know that the family you have is much more than just those who raised you.

Whatever your situation is though, remember what Jesus says:

All who exalt themselves will be humbled, and all who humble themselves will be exalted.

If you are blessed by a loving family, accept those into your life who need one. And if you have suffered adversity, know that you are not alone in this world, your true family is here, and your true Father in heaven loves you, and is always proud to accept you.

May you live in Truth, Peace, and Love,
—Chris