Breaking the Word

While he was still speaking to the crowds, his mother and his brothers appeared outside, wishing to speak with him. (Someone told him, "Your mother and your brothers are standing outside, asking to speak with you.") But he said in reply to the one who told him, "Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?" And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, "Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of my heavenly Father is my brother, and sister, and mother." (Mt 12:46-50)

Jesus was busy in his mission. He was speaking to the crowds. He was ready to be disturbed by any. For him his ministry was more important. He did not want to be moved away from the people for who he was sent. He wanted to continue his mission and carried it on without being disturbed. He was single focused. Establishing the kingdom was his mission.

Mother and brothers wanted to talk to him. We do not know the urgency of their coming. The author has not said anything about that, If they wanted to interrupt him then there should have been something very urgent. But Jesus was very clear about his mission and he was sure that not even his mother and the close relations should come in between him and his mission.

He beautifully gives the reason for such an attitude as saying that whoever does the will of the father in heaven is his mother and relations. His relationship is based on God and doing His will. When Jesus was in his ministry nothing mattered to him except God and doing the will of the Father. And anyone who was interested in doing the will of the father was his relation. 

Then some of the scribes and Pharisees said to him, "Teacher, we wish to see a sign from you." He said to them in reply, "An evil and unfaithful generation seeks a sign, but no sign will be given it except the sign of Jonah the prophet. Just as Jonah was in the belly of the whale three days and three nights, so will the Son of Man be in the heart of the earth three days and three nights. At the judgment, the men of Nineveh will arise with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and there is something greater than Jonah here. At the judgment the queen of the south will arise with this generation and condemn it, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and there is something greater than Solomon here. (Mt 12:38-42)

The scribes and Pharisees also followed Jesus. The ordinary people followed him and they were ready to believe what he said about God and the kingdom and even about himself. The scribes and Pharisees saw Jesus to be different and they were not able to pin him down to be someone. In their search they were not willing to accept the revelation. They were asking for signs that would answer their search.

Jesus was definite about not giving them a sign. He did not want to be an answer to their intellectual search. Even if he were to give a sign it would not be an answer to their search. He would be greater than signs. People of the faith have had signs in the old Testament. And those signs were sufficient for the people of that time to repent and return to God.

Jesus life would be a prophetic sign. In fact it would be greater than a prophetic sign. His death and resurrection would be more than a sign. That would be the goal and scope of the life of every believer. Solomon was a wise king. Jesus’ wisdom was greater than that of Solomon. Jesus’ wisdom was all about the kingdom. Jesus was more than a sign of wisdom.