eFollowingJesusFeb15 - Jesus' brothers and sisters (read Matthew 12:46-50 - printed below)

   Who was in Jesus' family?  Matthew 13:55 names at least six siblings!  Jesus' answer is striking.  His family came to hear him.  Instead of having them ushered to seats of honor, Jesus dismissed their importance:  "Whoever does God's will is my mother, brother, sister."  Earlier he had said, "I have come to set son against father, daughter against mother" (Matthew 10:35).

   Jesus tells the truth:  the demands of God's Kingdom can divide people.  Jesus isn't a prop to shore up family life or the glue of family values.  Jesus' call is radical - and he invites us into a new family, a new fellowship of belonging even deeper and more enduring than blood relations.

   St. Francis gave his father's wealth to the poor - and found himself jailed, then sued by his father.  He announced publicly, "Up to now I have called Pietro Bernardone my father, but as I am now resolved to serve God, I give him back the money about which he was perturbed, and the clothes I wore which belonged to him.  From now on I will say: ?Our Father who art in Heaven' instead of ?my father Pietro Bernardone.'"

   Lord, You are my Father, we who follow You are Your true family.

James

james@mpumc.org

Sunday's sermon on Matthew 11:16-30 may be heard by clicking here.

To view Giotto's fresco of Francis parting from his father Pietro, click here.

Here is the full text of Matthew 12:46-50 -   46: While he was still speaking to the people, behold, his mother and his brothers stood outside, asking to speak to him. 48: But he replied to the man who told him, "Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?" 49: And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, "Here are my mother and my brothers! 50: For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother, and sister, and mother."  

The full eFollowingJesus series (thus far!) may be found on our web site.