Brothers and Sisters in Christ

True relationship goes beyond one's bloodline.

31 His mother and his brothers arrived. Standing outside they sent word to him and called him. 32 A crowd seated around him told him, “Your mother and your brothers[a] [and your sisters] are outside asking for you.” 33 But he said to them in reply, “Who are my mother and [my] brothers?” 34 And looking around at those seated in the circle he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers. 35 [For] whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.”-Mark3:31-35

During the time of Jesus, each Jew knew that s/he belonged to the chosen race because they descended from Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. But Jesus says otherwise. It is not because of one's ancestry or bloodline or affinity that makes one His brother, mother or sister, rather, 'whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.' We are God's children. We are all chosen. We are all favored if we do the will of God.

Let us not be confused by Jesus' brothers, sisters and mother. We all know that Mary is His Mother, and she remained a virgin in the end. But 'brothers and sisters' are also used to address one's cousins and relatives as in the Book of Tobit ["... Then Tobias said to Raphael, 'Brother Azarias, will you ask Raguel to give me my sister Sarah?'" - Tobit7:9]. As in the excerpt, Tobit addressed his kinswoman Sarah as his sister, and the Angel Raphael as his brother.

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