Mark 3:31-35 (ESV)

³¹ And his mother and his brothers came, and standing outside they sent to him and called him. ³² And a crowd was sitting around him, and they said to him, “Your mother and your brothers are outside, seeking you.” ³³ And he answered them, “Who are my mother and my brothers?” ³⁴ And looking about at those who sat around him, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! ³⁵ For whoever does the will of God, he is my brother and sister and mother.”

Mark takes the reader back to the story of Jesus’ family and the crowded house (found in Mark 3:20-21). Jesus’ relatives arrived to help him restrain his “fanatical” activity. When they got to the house, it was so packed with people that they had to send someone to get him. The crowd inside and around him let him know his family was outside looking for him. The original word used for “seeking you” implied some authority over him. Jesus responded, “Who are my mother and my brothers?” (v. 33). Jesus used this opportunity to teach the crowds around him about the connectedness of his followers. Jesus looked at those sitting around him and said, “Here are my mother and my brothers!” Jesus demonstrated that those who sat and listened to his teaching, ready to do his will, made up his spiritual family. He didn’t dismiss the idea of responsibility to physical family, but he did elevate the spiritual bond to include those who follow him into a new kind of intimacy that actually surpasses blood relatives.

What an honor to be a part of Jesus’ family! Although we know Jesus was never married and never had children, hypothetically, what if someone let you know that records were uncovered revealing your descent from the family line of Jesus? How would you feel? What’s so fascinating is that Jesus offers much more than blood intimacy to those who turn to him. Your ethnicity, gender, and economic status do not matter! If you are in Christ, he considers you family. So, how do you know if you are a member of Jesus’ spiritual family? Jesus declares in verse 35, “For whoever does the will of God, he is my brother and sister and mother.” Are you doing the will of God? Remember that those physically related to very spiritual people, even physically related to Jesus, are still on the outside if they aren’t doing the will of God. His brothers, though related to him by blood, weren’t necessarily part of his spiritual family. In the same way, those who refuse to do things God’s way, no matter how they view themselves, are not spiritually “related” to Jesus. During Jesus’ ministry on earth, there were essentially two groups of people: those who sat inside with Jesus, attentive and obedient to him, and those who stood outside. Where would you have been found? Does Jesus see you sitting inside or standing outside?