(Tuesday, January 27)
Do you know the name of the Duchess of Sussex? A most unlikely candidate for international fame, Meghan Markle, suddenly became famous and received this royal title when she married Prince Harry of England. Though she was a mildly-talented actress, she did not work her way to fame as an entertainer. It was her connection with Prince Harry that brought her to the top rung of celebrity status.
Do we realize that we, also, have “celebrity status” by virtue of our connections with a royal family? Jesus made this shocking announcement in the gospel story we read today (Mark 3:31-35).
“The mother of Jesus and his brothers arrived at the house. Standing outside, they sent word to Jesus and called him. A crowd seated around him told him, ‘Your mother and your brothers and your sisters are outside asking for you.’ But he said to them, in reply, ‘Who are my mother and my brothers?’ And looking around at those seated in a circle he said, ‘Here are my mother and my brothers.”
No one is more elevated in importance than Mary, the Mother of God, the Queen of heaven and earth. She is far above all earthly kings, queens, and rich celebrities. A motley group of disciples formed a circle around Jesus. He looked around the circle into the eyes of each of these people, and announced to them at that moment that they were his new mothers, brothers, and sisters.
These were not rich and famous people. They were not important by virtue of how much money they had or what great accomplishments they achieved. All they had going for them was that they were disciples of Jesus Christ. At his word Jesus suddenly gave each of them royal status.
Jesus elaborated on this:
“For whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.”
What brought a person into high ranking in the kingdom of God was doing the will of God. And, at that moment in time, the will of the Father was to listen to and follow his Son, Jesus.
Just as Meghan Markle was suddenly given a new identity when she became connected to the royal family of England, so each of us receives a new identity when we are connected to the royal family of God, whose Son is the King over every king and Lord over every lord on earth. No matter how the world may judge us, and no matter the level of our self-esteem, we have now become new creations—the royal life of Jesus flows in us—the very presence of the Holy Spirit.
When this little circle of disciples left Jesus that day, I wonder how they felt. When they looked at how much Jesus loved his mother, his brothers, and his sisters, did they realize that this was also how much Jesus loved them? Were their lives changed when they absorbed the truth of Jesus’ words to them?
Being brothers and sisters of Jesus, we take on, not only new dignity, but also new responsibilities. Just as Mary’s appearances change the places where she shows up, so our presence changes the places where we go. We no longer rest on the definition the world gives us of who we are, but on the one Jesus has given us. Do we realize fully the significance of what Jesus tells us today?
“Blessed are you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth; you have revealed to little ones the mystery of the Kingdom” (Matthew 11:25).
