Then his mother and his brothers came to him but were unable to join him because of the crowd. 20 He was told, “Your mother and your brothers are standing outside and they wish to see you.” 21 He said to them in reply, “My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and act on it.”
Luke places this scene after teachings on how to hear God’s word (vv. 4-15) and how to live it so it is not hidden (vv. 16-18). Today’s scene crowns the theme by showing who truly belongs to Jesus: those who hear the word of God and act on it (vv. 19-21). This framing helps us read the scene clearly. Jesus is not rejecting His mother; He is teaching what real belonging in God’s family looks like. The mark of true kinship is not blood alone, but listening to God and living what He says.
In first-century speech, the term “brothers” could refer to close relatives or kinsmen, not only to children of the same mother. The Greek word adelphoi was used in a wide sense. Scripture uses family terms this way in many places. Luke’s point is about discipleship, not about mapping Jesus’ family tree in detail. The focus is on what makes a person close to Jesus.
The crowd blocks Mary and Jesus’ relatives from entering. Crowds commonly gathered around Jewish teachers across Galilee and Judea. Homes were small, and a full house meant many people pressed at the doorway. The message given to Jesus is urgent and respectful: “Your mother and your brothers wish to see you.” Jesus answers with a teaching for everyone who is listening: the ones who truly belong to Him are those who “hear the word of God and act on it.” This echoes His earlier words about the seed that falls on good soil and bears fruit (vv. 15). Hearing is not enough. The word must take root, change our choices, and shape our daily life.
Mary is the best example of this truth. She listened to God’s word and obeyed with a free and trusting heart: “Let it be done to me according to your word” (Lk. 1:38). She kept and pondered God’s word (Lk. 2:19, 51). In doing so, she shows what Jesus means. Mary’s greatness is not only that she gave birth to Jesus, but that she heard and acted on God’s word with perfect faith. Early Christian teachers stressed this point. St. Augustine (354–430) taught that Mary’s blessedness rests first in her faith and obedience, by which she conceived Christ in her heart before she bore Him in her womb. This supports Luke’s emphasis: true closeness to Jesus is measured by obedience to God.
This teaching is encouraging. It means that every person, in any place or culture, can become part of Christ’s family. We do not need special status or earthly ties. We need an open ear and a willing heart. We let Scripture guide our choices. We align our actions with God’s commands, and when we fail, we repent and begin again. We keep going when it is hard. In this way, we belong to Jesus with a bond more lasting than blood, because it is formed by grace—grace that joins us to his own life, a union death cannot break—and lived in daily fidelity, whereas natural family ties belong to this present age and do not remain the same in the resurrection (Rom 8:38-39; Mt 22:30).
This scene completes the unit (vv. 4-21) by identifying the true kin of Jesus as those who hear and put God’s word into practice. Jesus is not setting aside natural ties but defining the criterion of belonging in God’s family—hearing God’s word and acting on it—unfolded here in three moments: the word is sown (vv. 4-15), the word is manifested so it is not hidden (vv. 16-18), and the word is obeyed (vv. 19-21). Discipleship is clarified without diminishing Mary, who herself exemplifies hearing and doing (Lk. 1:38; 2:19, 51).
Christians have long expressed this teaching in simple ways: beginning the day with a short prayer for strength to put God’s word into practice; extending forgiveness even when feelings lag and the memory remains—since forgiveness is a decision renewed whenever the hurt returns; speaking truth kindly when silence would be easier; and setting aside time for worship on the Lord’s Day and for works of mercy. Each small act of obedience shapes a person to Christ and deepens belonging to His family.
Lord Jesus, open my ears to your word and steady my heart to do it. Help me to listen with faith, to choose what is right, and to persevere when it is hard. Form me into a true member of your family by daily obedience and humble love. Amen.
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Sources and References:
- The Holy Bible, New American Bible, Revised Edition (2011).
- The Navarre Bible: Luke, Faculty of the University of Navarre (2008), note on Lk 8:19-21.
- The Paulist Biblical Commentary, ed. José Enrique Aguilar Chiu et al. (2018), Luke 8:19-21.
- Raymond E. Brown et al., eds., The New Jerome Biblical Commentary (1990), Luke 8.
- Bernard Orchard et al., A Catholic Commentary on Holy Scripture (1953), Luke 8.
- St. Augustine (354–430), Sermon 215.4, in Sermons (184–229), trans. Edmund Hill, O.P., The Works of Saint Augustine: A Translation for the 21st Century (Hyde Park, NY: New City Press, 1993).
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