“For whoever does the will of God, he is my brother and sister and mother.” - Mark 3:35
There is a saying, “blood runs thicker than water.” It means that nothing, no friendship or love, is more important than your connection to your blood relatives. It’s a sentiment that’s been around for ages.
Well, here, Jesus shows us how untrue that sentiment is.
When called to leave the synagogue by his family, Jesus instead uses it as a teachable moment. He stays and tells them that they are his family, that anyone who does the will of God is his family. He extends that promise to us - we are his family too.
Here, he shows us that our spiritual family is deeper than any other connection we have. It supersedes your connection to your parents, your siblings, your spouse, and even your kids. To some, who don’t have great relationships with their earthly family, this is a huge blessing. To others, it can be saddening and a bit scary. Those blessed with deep connections to their earthly families tend not to like this passage. It’s a hard truth to confront, and there’s an even harder one that goes along with it: there is no guarantee that all of your family is going to heaven.
Your earthly family is just that - earthly, but your spiritual family, your brothers and sisters in Christ, will be with you in eternity.
Jesus, through his blood poured out for us, creates a new kind of bloodline - a holy one. We are baptized into his family through his life-giving sacrifice. In this case blood, Jesus’ blood, is thicker than all else. It covers us, binds us, and frees us.
So, love one another. Treat each other well. Share the gospel with those you love on earth, in hopes of being with them again in heaven, and take comfort in the fact that you belong to the biggest, most loving family in the history of mankind.
Dear Lord, thank you for the gift of family, both our earthly and spiritual one. May you work through us to treat each other well, and to share your truth with those we love. In Jesus name, Amen.