“Whosoever does the will of God is My brother, and sister...”

We strongly affirm the emphasis on family life in these days when the forces of evil seem so intent upon and successful in their attempts to divide and destroy this all-important unit of society. Our Lord, early in His ministry, also referred to family life. It was, however, a far different family that concerned Him. He was speaking about something thus far incomprehensible to His listeners that was related to another dimension: the family of
God. Human relationships were still important to Jesus, and He continued to reveal a human concern for His own family, noted especially in respect to the pain and sorrow His crucifixion was causing His mother (John 9:26-27). But even at that critical hour He was regarding the family relationship on a different level that we generally understand or experience.

We ought to cherish our families and our relationships. We need, as well, to grow into an understanding of Jesus’ pronouncements concerning the new family He had come to construct, the family of God. He said, in effect, that those who are related to God as their heavenly Father are brothers and sisters to one another – and are the very brothers and sisters of Jesus, the Son of God.

Whatever our race or heritage, class or status in society, our gifts or abilities, we are all the members of the family of God and are, with Jesus Himself, brothers and sisters in that family. It is an eternal relationship that is far more significant than the human family relationships we cherish here on this earth. Fellow Christians in our church, the members of Christian churches down the street, the hundreds of thousands of Christ’s brothers and sister all over the world – they are our brothers and sisters. As children of God we shout our thanksgivings.