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I grew up with three brothers who liked to tease me constantly. They tried on more than one occasion to convince me that I was adopted and therefore didn’t really belong to my family. In my insecurity, I would run crying to my mom. She always reminded me that even if I was adopted (which I clearly wasn’t since my mom and I look so much alike), it wouldn’t change how much I was loved and how truly I belonged in my family. We all have a deep desire to belong to a family and to know who we are.
At first glance, today’s Gospel passage doesn’t make any sense. We know that Jesus loved His mother deeply, and that she is the model of discipleship. Yet it appears that Jesus is dismissing her and His other brethren by not inviting them in when He learns they are standing outside. He seems to have no interest in His blood family, but, as is usually the case with Jesus, His message is something far more profound.
Jesus is teaching us about our own inheritance as adopted children in God’s family. In Jesus’ culture, property and wealth were passed down from generation to generation regardless of behavior or beliefs. Like today, adopted children had equal rights as any biological heirs. Simply being family members guaranteed a rightful claim to the family wealth. This right may have led to an heir feeling entitled and that he didn’t have to do anything to earn his keep.
Jesus wants to be sure that we are protected from this type of entitlement. When He responds to his mother and cousins in this way, Jesus is explaining to His followers that no one, not even his own mother, inherits the Kingdom of God because of their bloodline. We don’t become disciples simply because we know someone who knows Jesus. If we have super-holy parents or siblings, that doesn’t mean we’re automatically in with the Lord. Each one of us is called to be a disciple by “hear[ing] the word of God and act[ing] on it.”
The fact that Mary is Jesus’ mother does not give her a free pass to behave in a way that is contrary to Jesus’ teachings. Mary, like the rest of us, was called to live the life of a disciple. Mary did this perfectly in her earthly life. Her perfect obedience and love are why we honor her, not simply because she shared DNA with Jesus.
With these simple words, Jesus has extended an invitation to each one of us. We get to become the immediate family of Jesus by listening to the Word of God and living our lives according to His teachings. We become more than students; we become partakers in the inheritance of the Kingdom of God. Jesus isn’t condemning His mother but rather inviting us in to become part of the greatest family of all time.
Crecí con tres hermanos a quienes les gustaba burlarse de mí constantemente. En más de una ocasión intentaron convencerme de que yo era adoptada y que no pertenecía realmente a mi familia. En mi inseguridad, corría llorando hacia mi madre. Ella siempre me recordaba que, incluso si hubiera sido adoptada (lo cual claramente no era el caso, dado el gran parecido físico entre mi madre y yo), eso no cambiaría cuánto me amaba ni cuán verdaderamente pertenecía a mi familia. Todos albergamos un profundo deseo de pertenecer a una familia y de saber quiénes somos.
A primera vista, el pasaje del Evangelio de hoy parece carecer de sentido. Sabemos que Jesús amaba profundamente a su madre y que ella constituye el modelo del discipulado. Sin embargo, da la impresión de que Jesús la está desestimando —así como a sus otros parientes— al no invitarlos a entrar cuando se entera de que están esperando afuera. Pareciera no tener interés alguno en su familia de sangre; pero, como suele ocurrir con Jesús, su mensaje encierra un significado mucho más profundo.
Jesús nos está enseñando acerca de nuestra propia herencia como hijos adoptivos en la familia de Dios. En la cultura de Jesús, la propiedad y la riqueza se transmitían de generación en generación, independientemente del comportamiento o las creencias de los herederos. Al igual que en la actualidad, los hijos adoptivos gozaban de los mismos derechos que cualquier heredero biológico. El simple hecho de ser miembro de la familia garantizaba un derecho legítimo sobre el patrimonio familiar. Este derecho podía llevar al heredero a desarrollar un sentido de privilegio, creyendo que no tenía que hacer nada para ganarse su sustento.
Jesús desea asegurarse de que estemos protegidos contra este tipo de actitud de privilegio. Al responder de este modo a su madre y a sus primos, Jesús explica a sus seguidores que nadie —ni siquiera su propia madre— hereda el Reino de Dios simplemente por su linaje de sangre. No nos convertimos en discípulos por el mero hecho de conocer a alguien que, a su vez, conoce a Jesús. Si tenemos padres o hermanos sumamente santos, eso no significa que tengamos asegurado automáticamente nuestro lugar junto al Señor. Cada uno de nosotros está llamado a ser discípulo mediante el acto de “escucha[r] la palabra de Dios y [ponerla] en práctica”.
El hecho de que María sea la madre de Jesús no le otorga un pase libre para comportarse de una manera contraria a las enseñanzas de Jesús. María, al igual que el resto de nosotros, fue llamada a vivir la vida propia de un discípulo. María hizo esto a la perfección durante su vida terrenal. Su perfecta obediencia y su amor son la razón por la que la honramos, y no simplemente porque compartiera ADN con Jesús.
Con estas sencillas palabras, Jesús nos ha extendido una invitación a cada uno de nosotros. Tenemos la oportunidad de convertirnos en la familia directa de Jesús al escuchar la Palabra de Dios y vivir nuestras vidas conforme a sus enseñanzas. Llegamos a ser más que simples discípulos; nos convertimos en partícipes de la herencia del Reino de Dios. Jesús no está condenando a su madre, sino que, por el contrario, nos invita a formar parte de la familia más grandiosa de todos los tiempos.
Maria Riley is a passionate Catholic author and speaker who loves volunteering or playing board games when she’s not writing or mom-ing around with her four daughters. Her award-winning Catholic children’s chapter book series, Adventures with the Saints, is endorsed by her bishop. Visit her at MariaRileyAuthor.com or on social media @ MariaRileyAuthor. She and her family live in Kansas.
Feature Image Credit: Ketut Subiyanto, pexels.com/photo/photo-of-woman-and-her-children-lying-on-bed-4473871/
The views and opinions expressed in the Inspiration Daily blog are solely those of the original authors and contributors. These views and opinions do not necessarily represent those of Diocesan, the Diocesan staff, or other contributors to this blog.
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