Reflect:

We saw in Jesus’ response to his mother and brothers’ question this week in Matthew 12:46-50 “Who are my mother and brothers?”, that it is “whoever does the will of my Father.” Jesus did not come to perpetuate the status quo. He came to introduce a new community. His coming changes everything. In Jesus, everything gets re-defined, including our familial ties.

On another occasion, Jesus used hyperbole to make the point that if we choose to follow Him, He becomes our number one priority—even over beloved family, which, in the ancient world was an honor-shame culture, meaning: family mattered! Jesus doesn’t literally want us to hate our families. He’s emphasizing that compared to our love and commitment to Him, our commitments to our families will seem pale and inferior. This includes both nuclear families and families of origin.

That’s not to say that we don’t remain committed to our nuclear families. Numerous verses in the Bible emphasize what faith in the household is to look like: mutual submission, honoring of members, obedience to authority figures, even caring for our families as a good litmus test for our leadership capacities. In fact, our love for God will be lived out primarily in our family contexts. But at the end of the day, our primary allegiance is to Jesus.

Respond:

When might there be conflict between what God wants for you and what your family wants for you? How might you navigate this, maintaining your commitment to your nuclear family while still prioritizing your spiritual community? How does seeing the church as your family alter your perspective of church?

Read: Luke 14:25-27

25 Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: 26“If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple. 27And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.