Matthew 12:49

Friday, 5 September 2025   And He stretched out His hand toward His disciples and said, “Here are My mother and My brothers! Matthew 12:49   “And having extended His hand to His disciples, He said, ‘You behold! My mother and My brothers’” (CG).   In the previous verse, Jesus rhetorically questioned who His mother and His brothers are. Having so questioned, He immediately provides the response, “And having extended His hand to His disciples.”   One can see Matthew, along with the others, observing His actions and probably feeling overwhelmed by the coming words. Noting that He extended His hand provides a warm and graphic gesture described by eyewitness testimony. Upon extending His hand, “He said, ‘You behold! My mother and My brothers.’”   The words do not exclude Mary and His brothers. They simply make a point that trying to pin down a family relationship based on blood or genealogy as an exceptional excuse to either a right-standing with the Lord or some type of added holiness based on near kinship is an invalid proposition.   Rather, those who are considered nearest of all to the Redeemer are those who will be described in the next verse. When thinking this through, one can see that the cult of Mary, which has so grotesquely permeated the Roman Catholic Church, is completely excluded by Jesus’ words in this verse. It is an aberrant teaching that completely misdirects people from what God intends for us to focus on.   Life application: The church has gone through much misdirection, many redirections, and constant ups and downs since its inception. There have always been groups, sects, cults, and aberrant offshoots that claim to be the true way in relation to what Christ offers. For example, the Roman Catholic Church claims to be the true church. Baptism in it supposedly leads to a right relationship with God.   Jehovah’s Witnesses claim that they alone are following the proper path that was restored after eons of apostasy. The same is true with Mormonism, Seventh Day Adventism, the Church of Christ, and on and on and on (and on). So many supposedly lay claim to the truth as if they alone possess what the Savior offers freely to the whole world.   An example of this, and one that both started with the early church and that has also arisen in modern times, is refuted by Jesus’ words in this and the surrounding verses. It is the cult of the Judaizer, which today is most prominently known as Hebrew Roots.   Everything Jewish is exalted. Being Jewish implies a special connection to the Messiah. People who fit this condition are exalted, not because they have any special qualifications, abilities, or biblical understanding, but simply because they are Jewish.   So much is this the case that some teachers claim to be of Jewish descent even though they don’t have any genealogical ties to the Jewish people. However, they know that by making the claim, people will follow their teachings, cling to them as if they have a special connection to the Messiah, and fawn over them as if they were rock stars.   People in Israel hear about how profitable it is to be a Christian teacher or singer and work feverishly to establish themselves as sound, responsible, Messiah-loving servants. Unfortunately, innumerable people are duped by such people because they have failed to know Scripture.   They get sucked into law observance in various degrees and spend their lives trying to measure up to impossible standards set by theological quacks when the avenue to salvation has already been paved by Jesus. It is through faith in Him and what He has done that leads the lost soul back to God. Nothing else will do.   If someone has Jewish blood, speaks Hebrew, or was born in Israel, Jesus would say, “So what!” if their teaching is unsound. He expects us to follow Scripture because Scripture reveals Him to us. Don’t waste your time following such people. Read your Bible and follow Jesus!   Lord God, help us to think properly about our standing with You. The gospels have been recorded to show us that Jesus is the Messiah, that He fulfilled the prophecies that speak of His coming, and that He fulfilled the law that stood against the people. In His fulfillment of it, restoration through what He has done is available. May we remember this and cling to JESUS! Amen.