Redefining the Family

As followers of Jesus we are called to redefine our understanding of the family.  Jesus changed the role of women and children through the witness and teaching of his ministry.  He gave more value to these two groups than was common in the first century.  Also, there were his teachings about what integrity in marriage looked like and the way children were to interact with parents.  Perhaps one of the most powerful messages was the way that Jesus redefined family.  Take a look at this passage from the gospel of Mark:

 A crowd was seated around him, and those sent to him said, “Look, your mother, brothers, and sisters are outside looking for you.” He replied, “Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?”  Looking around at those seated around him in a circle, he said, “Look, here are my mother and my brothers.  Whoever does God’s will is my brother, sister, and mother.”Mark 3:32-35 (CEB)

This pericope (portion of scripture) can also be found in the Matthew’s gospel (chapter 12:46) and Luke (chapter 8:20).  These simple verses say powerful things about the way that Jesus comes to understand the power of community, the church and what family is.  The Common English Study Bible notes:

Jesus understands family in terms of loyalty to the Kingdom of God rather than as a bloodline.  Since that loyalty can create division withing families, this saying offers a new family of origin to those who follow Jesus.

Jesus called his disciples to leave everything that they had to follow him, and join him in doing the Kingdom work.  In choosing to follow Jesus they were forging a new kind of family.  So then when asked about his own mother and brothers Jesus answers in a way that makes it clear that there is a new Kingdom dynamic at play.

Often we think about the Kingdom of God as a distant “not yet” place, but as we participate in the shift of the understanding of family from a cultural to a Kingdom understanding we are actively participating in and experiencing the Kingdom of God here and now.  How amazing is that?

This new family not only breaks down  bloodlines but cultural and geographic lines as well.  All of a sudden the thanksgiving table looks very different for the Kingdom family.  It was because of this shift that the early church had to figure out how to then accommodate Jews and gentiles at the same table.

A final point to mention today is the hope that there is in this new kind of family.  I have the chance to connect with lots of different people in lots of different ways and share their story.  I have often found myself listening to heartbreaking stories of broken relationships and fractured families.  One facet of the Good News is that we all have a place at the table and we are all brothers, sisters, parents, grand parents and great grandparents in this kingdom vision of family.  We are all called to teach and to be taught what it is to be family and wish the best for one another and even disagree.  But in the end we come around the one table with the one cup and one loaf at communion to be reminded of the unity of our Kingdom family that we have been birthed into through God’s grace and our baptism.

How are you claiming the Kingdom family that you are a part of?

What is the hardest part about being part of this church/kingdom family?