He said to them in reply, “My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and act on it” (Luke 8:21).
There are many popular genetic testing kits that are advertised on TV and through the internet. People have asked me is it possible to be a blood relation to Jesus. Jesus’ reply today can help you to save some money. Asking if we are a blood relation with Jesus is missing the point of Jesus’ life and ministry. What is more important than even blood is, “those who hear the word of God and act upon it.” God is to be first, even before family. We may experience a subtle shudder from this statement but to those of Jesus’ time, it would have been apoplectic. Family meant everything in the Ancient Near East.
Jesus is not making the point that we disregard family, he is instead teaching us that if we are to be authentically present to our family this will come about best by following the will of our Father in heaven. As we deepen our relationship with Jesus, hear and put his teachings into action, we begin to bear the relational fruits of the Spirit. Would not our familial relationships be much better if we were more loving, joyful, peaceful, patient, kind, generous, faithful, gentle and practiced more self-control? Jesus taught and showed from his own life that the path to fulfilling and intimate relationships flourish best when we put God first because as we grow closer in relationship with him, we also do so with those around us.
Another point we can glean from Jesus’ response in today’s Gospel is that our “family” is to transcend bloodline, tribe, and nation. Any one of “those who hear the word of God and act upon it” is spiritually akin to Jesus the Christ. The point is not that we have a genetic, lineal relation with Jesus, but that when we live and act according to our Father’s will, we become part of the infinite family of the Trinity.
Though our baptism and the sacraments, in our centering our lives around the hearing, reading, meditating and praying with the word of God and putting what we receive into action, we become brothers and sisters in Christ. We will act with more caring and kindness, seek common ground through dialogue, be more willing to walk beside each another and instead of judging give each other the benefit of the doubt more. We will love one another as Jesus loves us!
The pride of place is hearing the word of God proclaimed during Mass. We are also invited to read his word in our own daily time of quiet. In both situations, God’s word comes alive as he shares something of himself with us. The Holy Spirit nourishes, and gives us his life. As we then receive, at times struggle with, seek to understand, and put into practice God’s word, we come to know more intimately the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, the saints, and our brothers and sisters in Christ. We are one family in the Body of Christ when we “hear the word of God and act on it.” Just imagine what our parishes and communities will look like when we put this simple verse into practice.
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Photo: Mary is the model of discipleship and part of Jesus’ new family, for who better than she heard the word of God and acted upon it when she said to Gabriel, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word” (Luke 1:38).
Spiritual Stepping Stones 