Luke 8:19 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Then his mother and his brothers came to him, but they could not reach him because of the crowd.

NIV: Now Jesus’ mother and brothers came to see him, but they were not able to get near him because of the crowd.

NASB: Now His mother and brothers came to Him, and they were unable to get to Him because of the crowd.

CSB: Then his mother and brothers came to him, but they could not meet with him because of the crowd.

NLT: Then Jesus’ mother and brothers came to see him, but they couldn’t get to him because of the crowd.

KJV: Then came to him his mother and his brethren, and could not come at him for the press.

NKJV: Then His mother and brothers came to Him, and could not approach Him because of the crowd.

Matthew places this earlier, but on the same day, as the parable of the sower (Matthew 12:46—13:9). Mark seems to say Jesus is at home (Mark 3:20), which probably means Peter and Andrew's house in Capernaum. Whichever home Jesus is in, it's filled with people to the point that no one else can get in.

In fact, so many people have been trying to get to Jesus that He doesn't even have time to eat (Mark 3:20). Jesus' family is less concerned about His schedule and more about His mental state: "And when his family heard it, they went out to seize him, for they were saying, 'He is out of his mind'" (Mark 3:21). It's unclear who thinks Jesus is out of His mind, but Mary and Jesus' brothers are concerned. Unwilling to pull the roof apart (Mark 2:1–12), they send a message.

Why are they concerned? The passage doesn't say. As the firstborn male of the family, and Joseph presumably dead, Jesus was responsible for Mary's care and the wellbeing of the family. It might be that the Nazarenes are holding Jesus' family accountable for His behavior, perhaps even threatening them financially (Luke 4:16–30). Or, possibly, the religious leaders who have had unfavorable interactions with Jesus are telling His brothers to pull Him into line.

For Luke, however, the stress is not on the rejection of Jesus by His mother and brothers. He only mentions that the family came and could not get to Jesus, not that they were concerned. Luke is still talking about how important it is to listen to God's Word, a message begun in the parable of the sower (Luke 8:4–8).

Luke 8:19–21 is a real-world example of the previous two lessons. The parable's sower spread good seed, but the harvest depends on the receptivity of the soil. The good news is spread like a lamp on a stand, but people must hear the message and see the light to respond. In a similar way, Jesus' mother and brothers do not listen (yet), so His followers become His new family. Jesus' family's concerns are also found in Matthew 12:46–50 and Mark 3:20–21, 31–35.

Luke 8 includes portions of three sections of Jesus' Galilean Ministry. The women who support Jesus' ministry bridge the faithful outcasts of chapter 7 to the sower who spreads the news of God's kingdom (Luke 8:1–3). Luke 8:4–18 includes the parables of the sower and the lamp under the jar. These illustrate the importance of hearing Jesus' message with a mind to believe and obey. Luke 8:19–56 presents different faith reactions when Jesus' life, power, and authority elicit questions about His identity.

This passage continues Luke's pattern in the account of Jesus' Galilean ministry: alternating calls to discipleship with stories that describe the discipleship He expects. In Luke 6:17, Jesus transitioned from calling and training the Twelve to a more general call; in Luke 7, Jesus interacted specifically with those with less privilege in society. Chapter 8 reveals how people react when Jesus reveals who He is, mostly through miracles. In Luke 9:18–50, Jesus returns to intense discipleship of the Twelve to give them courage and faith, preparing them for the journey to Jerusalem and what they will witness there.

Luke was a traveling companion of Paul (Acts 16:10) and a physician (Colossians 4:14). Unlike Matthew, Mark, and John, Luke writes his gospel as an historian, rather than as a first-hand eyewitness. His extensive writings also include the book of Acts (Acts 1:1–3). These are deliberately organized, carefully researched accounts of those events. The gospel of Luke focuses on the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ. Luke's Gentile perspective presents Christ as a Savior for all people, offering both forgiveness and direction to those who follow Him.