Mary’s heart lurched as she thought of her first-born, now a grown man. What could she do? He wasn’t eating properly. He was working himself to the bone. He had made some powerful enemies. And she was seriously concerned for his mental health.
“He’s out of his mind,” her younger sons had insisted. Rumour had it that some religious leaders considered him possessed by the devil. Oh yes, he may be special, this son of hers, but he was still her son and she couldn’t help but worry.
If only he would listen to her. She would insist that he come home for a few square meals and some solid sleep. ‘Mother knows best,’ Mary would say. With her younger sons by her side for physical and moral support, she made her way to the home where Jesus was, yet again, working hard … too hard.
Encircled by admirers
Mary did, indeed, have reason to be concerned. Even as she waited outside, Jesus was inside vehemently refuting the blasphemous accusation that his power came from Satan. Yet, as he argued with those pompous teachers of the law who had come down from Jerusalem, sitting around him were people who accepted him as God-sent. They didn’t have the whole picture, but their hearts were in the right place.
A message was passed to Jesus through the crowd which was packed into this stuffy, overfilled room. “Your mother and brothers are outside. They’re looking for you.”
Jesus looked up. “Who are my mother and brothers?” Nobody quite knew how to answer. He turned to each of those everyday men (and women?) who were seated in a circle around him, perhaps looking deep into the eyes of each one.
“Here are my mother and brothers,” said Jesus, indicating his loyal followers. What?! Poor Mary. Surely her heart, already in knots, would fray and rip when these words were relayed to her.
“Whoever does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother,” he continued.
Sisters? Where did that come from? Were there women in the circle too? Certainly there were women who believed he was who he claimed to be even back then. Was he also thinking of the many who would follow him in the years to come, right down to us today?
Brought into the family
As I meditate on this scene, I identify with Mary, probably because she was likely in her mid or late forties at the time, just a few years younger than I am now. On the one hand, my heart breaks for her, standing outside, hearing Jesus apparently disown her. Yet on the other hand, I am comforted by the knowledge that Jesus would later take special notice of her in what would be his and her darkest hour both. He would entrust her to the care of his dear friend, John. Jesus hadn’t rejected her. But he had a divinely ordained role to fulfil, and Mary’s desire to smother him with mothering wasn’t appropriate.
Jesus’ point was this: Whoever does God’s will is Jesus’ brother and sister and mother.
That includes us, his followers who live two millennia after this emotion-charged event.
Did those people who were seated in a circle around him back then know and understand everything about the great mystery of Jesus’ work? No, of course not. But their hearts were in the right place.
Plans for the year
At this time of year, I usually put together a ‘PMP’ (Personal Ministry Plan) for the upcoming twelve months, as well as look back on the year past. Don’t be impressed – I do it because it is ‘strongly encouraged’ (required, ideally) by the agency through which I work. I am asking God these days where he would have me focus during the year ahead.
What does it mean to ‘do God’s will’?
God’s will for us in the big things is obvious. He wants us to love him first and foremost, and then to love those around us in the same way that we love ourselves. As for matters specific to my life, I look to him for direction and make the best plans I can. I’m encouraged from this passage that I don’t need to understand it all, but challenged that my heart needs to be in the right place.
When I do that, Jesus calls me ‘sister’. I am his little sister. There is no way I can begin to identify with the role of ‘mother’ in this sense. ‘Baby sister’ of the Son of God is hard enough to get my head around. But understand it or not, that is what Jesus considers me … that is what he considers us … if only we do God’s will.
A warning and an encouragement
Mary’s heart was tied in knots that evening as she worried for her son. But just a few short years later, Mary would become an integral part of the early church. It was a community which also included Mary’s other sons (Acts 1:14). Phew!
As an ordinary Christian woman who identifies with Mary in this story, I am so pleased to know that Jesus cared well for this dear lady who loved him so very much. I still feel very sad, though, when I imagine Mary being given ‘the cold shoulder’ while Jesus got on with fulfilling God’s will. I take this as a warning. It is pointless and a waste of time and energy to get so caught up in what I think is best that I miss what God wants of me.
And as an ordinary Christian woman, I’m tremendously encouraged to think that Jesus calls me ‘sister’ when I do God’s will. I still don’t have the full picture – it is too great a mystery – but I know and accept that, through faith in Jesus, we are given his spirit who indwells us and identifies us as sons and daughters of God Almighty.
And so, as I look to the year ahead, I am encouraged. Come what may, my big brother has it all in hand.