The gospels are very open in sharing the opposition that Jesus faced in his ministry. They are not afraid to have Jesus himself report that he was accused of being a glutton and a wino or, in this lesson, of his family trying to restrain him when the people thought he was insane. The religious folks accused him of even worse by suggesting that he was actually in league with the prince of demons. After Jesus offers a convincing reproof of this charge, his mother and family arrive and try to have a word with him. When they cannot get to him because of the crowd the word is passed to him that they are outside. His reply is to recast the idea of family in terms of relationship to God rather than in terms of blood.

"Who is my mother and my brothers?" he asks and then goes on to answer, "Whoeve…