Matthew 12:50 - Printer Friendly

ESV: For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother."

NIV: For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother."

NASB: For whoever does the will of My Father who is in heaven, he is My brother, and sister, and mother.'

CSB: For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother."

NLT: Anyone who does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother!'

KJV: For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.

NKJV: For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother.”

Those hearing Jesus' words are being taught an expanded view of what true "family" is. He is inside a very crowded house teaching when He gets the news that His mother Mary and His brothers are waiting to speak to Him outside. Instead of going out to see them, Jesus points to His disciples and says, "Here are my mother and my brothers!" This is meant to make an important point (Matthew 12:46–49).

Christ defines His family through the connection to His Father in heaven—not to His earthly mother and brothers. He expands the idea of His family to be "whoever does the will my Father in heaven." He calls those people his brother and sister and mother. Eventually, at least some of Jesus' immediate earthly family will become part of this spiritual group (Acts 1:14).

Since this time, the church—all who trust in Christ and do God's will—has been described as a family. Believers are brothers and sisters in Christ because we all share the same Father in heaven. That Father has literally adopted us as His own children through our faith in Christ (Romans 8:15). That sense of belonging, the idea that the people of Christ are joined together by the bonds of family community, is central to being a Christian. None of us are alone.

In this moment, Jesus stresses that the unifying factor of spiritual "family" is doing the will of God the Father.

Matthew 12:46–50 finds Jesus teaching inside a house. He receives a message that His mother Mary and His brothers are waiting outside to talk to Him. In response, Jesus points to His disciples. He declares that anyone who does the will of His Father in heaven is His brother and sister and mother, establishing the idea that those who follow Christ and do God's will are meant to be connected like family.

Matthew 12 features confrontations between the Pharisees and Jesus over several issues. Among these are working on the Sabbath, healing on the Sabbath, and the source of His power to cast out demons. Jesus counters each argument and rebukes the Pharisees sharply for their obstinate unbelief. He even notes that those who maliciously ascribe His miracles to demons are unforgivable. He warns them, and the rest of their current generation, about the judgment to come. Jesus calls the Pharisees a brood of vipers and rejects their demand for another miracle. All they'll be promised is the sign of Jonah. The Son of Man will be in the heart of the earth for three days. Jesus also states that all who do His Father's will are His family.

Matthew 11 depicted Jesus preaching and teaching after sending out His chosen disciples in pairs in chapter 10. Chapter 12 immediately picks up with more confrontation with the Pharisees. Jesus responds to those criticisms and rebukes their evil hearts as the source of their evil words. In the following chapter, Matthew will shift His focus onto Jesus' parables.

The Gospel of Matthew clearly shows the influence of its writer's background, and his effort to reach a specific audience. Matthew was one of Jesus' twelve disciples, a Jewish man, and a former tax collector. This profession would have required literacy, and Matthew may have transcribed some of Jesus' words as they were spoken. This book is filled with references to the Old Testament, demonstrating to Israel that Jesus is the Promised One. Matthew also includes many references to coins, likely due to his former profession. Matthew records extensive accounts of Jesus' teaching, more than the other three Gospels.