KEY SCRIPTURE: Matt 12:49 KJV “And he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren!”

The Lord Jesus is our grand example in every aspect of life. His approach to all things is God’s approved way to relate to that thing. We would for today, consider His mindset concerning His parents and siblings.

In our key scripture, the Lord was busily teaching a group of people, whiles someone came to Him and said, master, your mother and brethren are seeking to speak to you. The very normal reaction would have been, for Him to excuse the audience for a moment and then go listen to whatever they had for Him. This was not the case. He rather made the following land mark statement. Matt 12:48 KJV” But he answered and said unto him that told him, Who is my mother? and who are my brethren? And he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren!” The Lord Jesus at this point was not making nonsense of the Law that commands us to honour parents, but placing that great importance of taking God’s word first and doing it. The Lord said He came to fulfill the law yet pleasing God always came first.

What has always pertained is to attend to our family and do what they require. In some cases, their demands are contrary to the way and counsel of God. Now let’s consider the Lord’s criterion for being His disciple. Luke 14:26 KJV “If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.”

 Once again, the Lord establishes that, placing God the Father first in everything is the highest divine order of priorities in this life. He said if you do not love God the father above our families and even our own lives, we can’t be His disciples.

Do the events portrayed above mean that Jesus had nothing to do with the family? The Lord was indeed very close to His family. In John 7:1-5 we see His siblings discussing with Him, about going to the feast of tabernacles. When the Lord hanged on the cross, He asked John to take care of His mother and treat her as her very mother. This meant He never neglected His sonship duties to His mother.

In this study, we have learned that it is our duty as sons, and daughters to honour our parents, yet, we must always place our love for God above everyone including ourselves.

CONFESSION

God is the reason for us being alive, and so I place Him above my family and myself. I do play my role of honouring my parents and my siblings as well.

THOUGHT: IT IS ALWAYS GOD FIRST BEFORE FAMILY.

FURTHER STUDIES

John 19:27 KJV “Then saith he to the disciple, Behold thy mother! And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home.”

John 7:3 KJV “His brethren therefore said unto him, Depart hence, and go into Judaea, that thy disciples also may see the works that thou doest.”