Note: On Tuesdays and some Sundays, you can find me at Your Daily Tripod, owned by my friend TonyD. A longer version of the post below appears there.
And looking at those who sat around him, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.” (Mark 3:34-35, NRSVCE)
We see it in politics, in business, even in ministry. As fair as 
people might try to be, it’s hard not to give special consideration to relatives when it comes to promotions and other opportunities. We’re a tribal lot, we human beings, and protecting the tribe is almost a primal instinct.
At an initial read of today’s Gospel, Jesus sounds harsh, inconsiderate of the woman who birthed him, who nursed him, who cleaned his scrapes, who as much as any other mother marveled at every stage of his development. Now a grown man, how could he ignore all that so publicly?
Ah, but he didn’t. Of course Mary remained his mother, for who other than Jesus himself was a better example of a person doing the will of God? This is a joyful, hopeful passage! It’s not a matter of denying or shunning those we love and who love us, but the glorious gift that every single one of us has the opportunity to sit at His table. Jesus lays out a path for getting to the seat He has for us. All we need to do is obey.
