jan 24 2006

Mk 3:31-35 The mother of Jesus and his brothers arrived at the house. Standing outside, they sent word to Jesus and called him. A crowd seated around him told him, “Your mother and your brothers and your sisters are outside asking for you.” But he said to them in reply,“Who are my mother and my brothers?” And looking around at those seated in the circle he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.”
Jesus is calling all who do the will of God his mother, sister and brother. The crowd must have been surprised that he would honor them in this way. His own relatives are not able to call Jesus away from the crowd that is seated in a circle around him. To me the circle signifies a completeness and a unity that they were experiencing in listening to the teaching of Jesus.