June 16, 2025; Matthew 12:38-50

Daily Dose of Hope

June 16, 2025

Scripture - Matthew 12:38-50

Prayer:  Lord Jesus, Mighty God, Holy One...We come to you this morning with humility and gratefulness.  Thank you that your mercies are new every morning.  Thank you that you continue to love and guide us, even though we mess up again and again.  Thank you for your patience and your never-ending care.  Lord, we are so very grateful.  Help us, on this Monday, to start our week with the right attitude.  We belong to you and we are under your authority.  Help us see others the way you see them.  Help us produce fruit in our lives.  Oh, Lord, how we need your help.  Please, Jesus, may we hear your voice today.  In Your Name, Amen.

Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, a Deep Dive into the Gospels and the book of Acts.  Happy Monday!

Our Scripture reading for today is the last half of Matthew 12.  We start with the discussion about the sign of Jonah.  The Pharisees have asked Jesus for a sign to demonstrate that he is the Messiah.  Apparently, all the miracles he has done thus far aren’t enough for these guys.  Remember, the Pharisees were even attributing some of his miracles to Satan.  Understandably, this request doesn’t go over too well with Jesus. 

On the surface, there isn’t anything wrong with their request.  There are times in the Old Testament in which people asked God for a sign.  But Jesus can see right through their request.  Nothing he does will make these guys believe in him.  In fact, they are looking for more ammunition to use against Jesus.  There is nothing sincere about the request.  Matthew Henry writes in his commentary, "Christ is always ready to hear and answer holy desires and prayers, yet he will not gratify corrupt lusts and humors."

Jesus does promise the sign of Jonah.  The Jews believed that the Ninevites repented when Jonah preached because they knew it was the God of all who spoke through him.  And they knew this because God kept him from dying in the belly of the big fish.  In the same way, Jesus’ resurrection will signify God’s vindication of him and affirm the truth of what he says and his divinity.  But Jesus knows that even the resurrection won’t be enough to make most of these Jewish leaders believe.  Their hearts are hard. 

Now, let’s take a look at the text about Jesus’ mother and brothers.  I’ll be honest, growing up I used to really struggle with this passage. It seemed so harsh! But deeper reflection yields a different perspective.

Can you imagine what it must have been like for Jesus’ immediate family? We know that Mary knew that Jesus was special but did she really understand the significance of his life at this point? What must his siblings have thought?

We see in this text that his mother and brothers are wanting to talk to him, interrupting a teaching session. Are they chatting about Sunday dinner or do they want him to stop making such a ruckus around town? Again, we don’t have details but it’s clear they don’t really know him as the Son of God (yet).

Jesus’ reaction is a bit off-putting. As a mom, I might have gotten my feelings hurt more than a little bit. But he is making a point. Jesus’ family has become much wider than Mary, Joseph, and the boys. There are no bounds to who may be part of it. Anyone who does the will of my Father is my brother and sister and mother.  Jesus is redefining family for those who profess faith in him.  Yes, biological family relationships are important but spiritual family relationships (and this might be hard to hear) are even more important. 

Given the strong emphasis on family ties in first century Palestine, Jesus’ words here would have been shocking.  But what he is saying is that believers should consider themselves family and care for one another like they are family members.  In the words of Sister Sledge, we are family.

The apostle Paul in his New Testament letters expanded on this idea of believers being a family of faith: 

In Galatians 6:10, Paul speaks of our need to care for those in the household of God, “Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.”  Family was a big deal at the time.  People lived with extended family.  Who you were related to mattered.  You were under social and moral obligation to care for your extended family.  And Paul is saying who you are related to in Christ is also a big deal.  Those people in your church family, those other believers that worship with you, those other people who profess faith in Jesus --- these are your brothers and sisters as well.  These people are family.

In Ephesians 2:19, Paul writes, Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household…  We are members of God’s household.  We are members of God’s family.  If you have said yes to Jesus as Lord and Savior, then God is your father.  You are a child of God.  And you have many siblings.  We are brothers and sisters.  We are family.  We are no longer strangers.  Think about those people at church, at New Hope.  Some you know and some you don’t know.  Some you like and others you might not like.  But we are family and we will spend eternity together.

And the early church clearly behaved in the way biological families behaved.  They ate together, they spent time together, they sacrificed and worked together.  Acts 2:44-47, All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.  

They behaved like a family.  They loved each other like a family.  They sacrificed together like a family.  There was nothing fakey about this.  Notice it doesn’t say they came together on Sunday morning, shook hands, and then went their own way.  No, they did life together.  It was real.  It was genuine.  And guess what?  God added to their numbers. Because people see that and they want that.

It’s no different today.  We have an epidemic of loneliness.  People are disconnected.  People are struggling.  Even those who aren’t struggling are always looking for sincere, genuine places of love and acceptance.  The family of faith is intended to be a place in which you are loved, accepted, cared for, held accountable, belong, where you know people have your back, where you can learn and grow….

It’s far from perfect because it involves human beings.  Over the years, the church has too often been exclusive, cliquey, fake, and judgmental.  Sometimes, we have been more dysfunctional family than healthy family.  We have done harm.  I think we need to repent of that.  If we at New Hope have ever been part of putting walls up, then we need to repent of that.  If I have ever been part of mistreating my brother or sister, if you have been part of excluding or hurting your brother and sister, then you need to repent of that.  Period.

We are a family.  And families are funny.  Families are not polished and pulled together.  Families love each other, they are loyal to one another, but they sometimes get annoyed with one another.  They sometimes hurt one another (I am thinking of my own three kids – they love each other fiercely and yet, they can really push each other’s buttons).  It’s no difference with our siblings in Christ.  Family is a place where we do a lot of forgiving, a lot of extending grace, but it’s also a place where we know that we belong no matter what.  Strong families are places where when you come together, you can just take a deep breath and say, “I’m home.”  It isn’t the building but it’s the people.  This is the thing.  When a church family loves like Jesus, people get a glimpse of Jesus.  When we care for one another sacrificially, people see Jesus.  When the family of faith sacrifices for one another, then people get to see Jesus in action.  Lives are transformed.  Hearts are changed.  Our faith grows stronger.  Jesus Christ is glorified. And the Lord added to their numbers those who were being saved. 

Think about the relationships you have made within the faith family. Are they strong? Why or why not? What holds you back from creating strong, meaningful connections to your brothers and sisters in Christ?

Blessings,

Pastor Vicki