Blood is not thicker than water- Matthew 12:46-50

Matthew Chapter 11 and 12 which speak of the rejection of Jesus is now winding down.  The attacks on Jesus have been relentless with its flash point in verse 31. The Jewish religious leadership crossed the line when they eluded that his powers stemmed from Beelzebul, thus blaspheming against the Holy Spirit.

The passage must be seen in the larger context of the rejection of Jesus in Galilee   This rejection comes from a number of quarters; the Jewish leaders, the disciples of John the Baptist, the people and  in the Gospel of Mark, even His own family. Yet peppered in all this is  the fact that the rejection of Jesus was not universal for many followed Him making it at times essential to find refuge in a boat or in His house.

Surely all these attacks were too much for his mother and brothers to bear, they who loved Jesus. They now arrive at the place where he was in order to “speak with him.” One can only assume which way that conversation would go down. In order to protect him from those who seek to destroy him and tarnish his reputation his mother and brothers land up with what most certainly seems to be a message to ‘back off a bit’.