Gospel of Matthew 12:46-50
Christ's Brothers and Sisters
While he was speaking to the multitude, his mother and his siblings were waiting to speak with him. One of the people close to him told him that his family wanted to speak with him. But Christ answered, "Who is my mother? And who are my brothers and sisters?"
And he stretched his hand out towards his disciples, and said, "Behold, my mother and my brethren! For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven, he is my brother, and sister, and mother."
Comment on the Scripture
The full text of this short passage is not often recited; it sounds a bit rude to Christ's mother and does not seem to mean very much in practical terms. If it does seem rude to you, then you should ask yourself some hard questions, because anyone who accepts Christ's divinity must realize that his actions and words are good, and just, and utterly right. Even the much-venerated Virgin Mary must accept the divinity of Christ's person. He is God incarnate. Has she "lost her son" to his mission? No. Just as Christ's divinity transcends his humanity, his importance as the Messiah to Mary and to his siblings is as important to them as it is to anyone else.
We must remember the passage beginning at Matthew 10:34, specifically the words, "He that loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and he that loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me." Mary loves Christ as her savior more than Jesus as her son. And Christ's love for Mary and his siblings, as their God and Savior, is greater than the love of a son for his family. We can, we should, and we must love God in a way that is even greater than the natural love we have for our family.
Moral relativism is widely accepted in real life. If someone's son or daughter has done something wrong, and the parents lie or commit another sin to protect their child from justice, we feel sympathy. Yet, it is without doubt wrong to do so. We must remember that Christ himself was human, and felt the same sympathy. He knew firsthand the emotions, including the painful emotions, that underlie moral relativism.
