Overlooked or Emphasized

Then Jesus’ mother and brothers came to see him. They stood outside and sent word for him to come out and talk with them. There was a crowd sitting around Jesus, and someone said, “Your mother and your brothers are outside asking for you.” Jesus replied, “Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?” Then he looked at those around him and said, “Look, these are my mother and brothers. Anyone who does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother.”  - Mark 3:31-35

This is the passage that we looked at yesterday. One of the things we pointed out was that Jesus flipped the script on the definition of family. First off, Jesus doesn’t mention fathers - the pinnacle of the family.

Second, Jesus mentions ‘sisters’ - who were often not included. So when the crowd says “Your mother and brothers are outside” it could have meant either “Your mother and male siblings are outside” or “Your mother and male and female siblings are outside.” Often people use language like that today, for example, talking about ‘mankind.’ Notice how the women get diminished in the process, but not the men (not to mention the non-binary folks).

So in the very same breath when Jesus defines this new kind of family, he does NOT mention fathers yet he DOES mention sisters - that’s a radical departure from first century culture and a clear recalibration of power dynamics in the family. Jesus is making sure that the overlooked are centered and valued.

In your family growing up, who was overlooked? Who was centered? How did that impact your family dynamics? How did that impact you?