Matthew 12:46-50 Family
Format for Your Devotions
Instructions: Do not read my example devotion until you have completed your own devotional time in the scriptures. Reading my thoughts first may limit your own understanding. Let the Holy Spirit speak to you alone before looking to see what anyone else has to say, whether it is me, a Bible commentary, or a friend. Let God speak to you before you let another person speak to you. I have provided a format, but modify it to fit your needs. For example, I usually combine my application and prayer together talking to God about the application to my own life. You can go through this devotion process mentally, speaking out loud, or in writing as you wish. Don’t worry if you are not following this process exactly. Sometimes, I add extra information and sometimes I emphasize one part more than others. However, you should always think about what you learn about God from this passage.
Step 1: Pray–Ask for the Holy Spirit’s guidance first of all and that God may reveal the lessons that He wants you to have that day. Request that God protect you from Satan’s distractions (and the devil will try to distract you whether it is pinching the baby or putting you to sleep). Ask to see God more clearly as you read and think about the passage.
Step 2: Read the passage–Read to get an overview of the information first. Then start looking at specific parts after the first reading. You may read a larger or smaller section than I have here because you do not have to follow my organization at all.
Step 3: Understand the passage–You can summarize, ask and answer your own questions about the passage, visualize the story, analyze the characters, and relate this passage to other scriptures and personal experiences.
Step 4: What does this reveal about God?–What do you learn about the Father, Son, and/or Holy Spirit from this passage?
Step 5: Apply this to your own life.
Step 6: Prayer
My Example Devotion: March 31, 2019, Matthew 12:46-50
Note: In the devotion examples, I leave my questions and thought processes in the text because I am trying to demonstrate that a devotional time is a dialogue with God about what you are reading from His word. As such, any questions or ideas that you have should be explored by talking it out with God. These example devotions are not my attempts to teach you what the meaning of a particular scripture is. They are an attempt to teach you the process of devotions, which is a combination of prayer and Bible study where you explore ideas with God as you read His word.
While he was still speaking to the people, behold, his mother and his brothers stood outside, asking to speak to him. But he replied to the man who told him, “Who is my mother, and 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 Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”
Note: There is a missing verse here in the ESV that is present in the KJV. It does not hurt anything to leave it out. It is simply saying “Then one said to Him, Behold, Your mother and Your brothers stand outside, desiring to speak with You” (Matthew 12:47). This is basically said in verse 48 where it says “But he replied to the man who told him” so there is no problem with it either way. It does not change the meaning one bit.
(Understanding the Text) What do these verses tell us about the setting? Jesus was inside a building speaking because it says that His family was outside. There were many people there since the family did not come right in, and a man had to give Jesus the message that they were asking to speak with Him. I assume that the building was overflowing with people wanting healing and more people outside waiting their turn to come in and be healed because the Bible paints that picture so often. Luke confirms the crowding in his version of the same story. “And His mother and His brothers came to Him. And they could not come near Him because of the crowd” (Luke 8:19).
Who are the characters here? Jesus, His mother, His brothers, a man who tells Jesus that the family is here, and Jesus’ disciples. It is unclear whether the disciples are only the twelve or if there were many more there (like the 70 and women followers). I think that the group included women because of Jesus’ remark about sister and mother. There would be no reason to include the word sister if there were no women present since none of Jesus’ sisters were outside waiting. I’ve wondered in the past why Jesus said mother and thought that it was a message to His mother that she was not following God’s will, but I think that it was also because some of the women present were older women who were taking care of Jesus as if they were His mother. He was telling the people present that He considered them family.
(Revelation of God) Why did Jesus respond so ungraciously when it is in His character to be gracious? Other passages indicate that the brothers had heard how Jesus was not even taking time to eat or drink because of all the crowds needing attention and constantly following Him, so they decided that He was crazy and needed a family intervention. Mark gives the information about insanity just a short time before His mother and brothers show up with the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit in the middle. “And again a crowd came together, so that they could not even eat bread. And hearing, those with Him went out to take hold of Him; for they said, He is insane” (Mark 3:20-21). Since Matthew speaks of the blasphemy in this location also, it indicates that the information all goes together. Thus, if Jesus had let the brothers and His mother in, there would have been a big scene where they tried to seize Him, and His disciples would have fought back against them and it would have done harm to His mission. Instead, a few ungracious-sounding words were the kindest way to stop His family from acting against God.
(Application) I need to look at the words themselves and see the promise rather than the insult to His family. The words are an incredible promise spoken directly by Jesus. He says directly to us that when we are serving Him/His Father, we are His family. We are brothers, sisters, and mother to Jesus when we join with Him. Paul says the same thing, but this is where Jesus Himself spoke the words.
(Prayer) I pray to know that I am Your family. I can’t seem to get my head around that idea. I understand being family with each other as Christian brothers and sisters with God as our Father, but it is hard to wrap my mind around the concept of You considering me Your sister. I pray to be assured of Your love, to know Your love for me.