The family dynamic is an interesting one. I am grateful that I was raised in a loving, Christian home. I love and care about my mother and brother and sisters, even if I don’t see them all that often.  I am also grateful to have been blessed with my wife and three daughters, who brought three guys into the family and now seven grandchildren. Family is important to me.

Did Jesus feel the same way? We don’t know much about the family of Jesus. What we do know from Scripture raises more questions than it answers. We are given the names of four brothers and told He had more than one sister.

Isn’t this the carpenter? Isn’t this Mary’s son and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas and Simon? Aren’t his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him. Mark 6:3

They thought He was nuts.

When his family heard about this, they went to take charge of him, for they said, “He is out of his mind.” Mark 3:21

They did not believe He was who He was.

For even his own brothers did not believe in him. John 7:5

I find it interesting that none of His siblings are mentioned as being at the foot of the cross with Mary when Jesus was crucified. What kind of relationship did they have? Some read the following passages and conclude that Jesus did not care about His family very much.

“Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.”  Matthew 10:37

Now Jesus’ mother and brothers came to see him, but they were not able to get near him because of the crowd. Someone told him, “Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to see you.” He replied, “My mother and brothers are those who hear God’s word and put it into practice.” Luke 8:19–21

Jesus was not saying that family was unimportant. He was simply affirming that our spiritual relationship with Him is more important than any other relationship. Knowing and believing that He is our Savior, the one who took our punishment for sin so that we would not have to die forever, changes us. We will love Him more than anything else, but will will love our families and our neighbors in response to the love  we have been shown.  That is all part of hearing God’s Word and putting it into practice.