The Family of Jesus

Fr. Lawrence Jagdfeld, O.F.M., Administrator

Today's Gospel passage is one that is very familiar to pre-Vatican II Catholics as it was used at almost every votive Mass of the Blessed Mother. It seems to belie the old adage that "blood is thicker than water." When Jesus is told that his mother and his family are trying to get in to see him, he identifies those who hear the Word of God and act upon it as his true family.

This rather cold-hearted response to the news of his family's arrival is foreign to our sensibilities. Who of us would not drop what we were doing if he/she heard that his/her mother was just outside waiting for him/her? However, in this instance, Jesus is not offering us an example to follow so much as a proper order for our priorities.

Our connection to Jesus is ratified by both water and blood: the water of baptism and the blood of the Eucharist. The evangelist is illustrating that connection by this particular episode. Remember that St. Luke was writing for those who had been on the outside looking in for thousands of years. This exclamation by Jesus is surely included here to illustrate to his audience that they are rightful heirs to Jesus' message even if they were not Jews to begin with.

For Middle Easterners, the individual always gives way to the group. By stating that anyone who hears God's word and acts upon it are part of his family, Jesus is reflecting the values of his culture. His "fictive" family is just as important to him as his blood relatives.