A New Tribe

In a culture that places family first, the Lord’s ambivalence toward his mother and his brothers in the Gospel of Matthew is confusing, if not utterly scandalous. Why would Jesus ignore his close relatives and leave them standing outside? The answer presented in the text is straightforward: the disciples are the Lord’s true relatives, because it is the Father’s teaching—not human blood ties—that serves as the organizing principle for the tribe of Jesus. This new definition of family reflects the teaching of adoption found in St. Paul’s letters: those who submit to the teaching of the Father are adopted into the Lord’s family. “Peace and mercy be upon all who walk by this rule, upon the Israel of God.” (Galatians 6:16) Richard and Fr. Marc discuss Matthew 12:46-50. Episode 299 Matthew 12:46-50; Music from https://filmmusic.io: “Acid Trumpet” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) License: CC BY (http:// creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★