Forever Home in the Eternal Family of God

Daily Encouragement for the Family of God by Kenton Cheek

18 January 2025

Reading From Matthew 12:24-50

While he was still speaking to the people, behold, his mother and his brothersstood 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.”

 –Matthew 12:46-50

     For me this passage has always challenged a lot of different religious notions that mankind has invented.  It would seem to me that if the Virgin Mary were someone to be venerated, then Jesus would not have said these words.  And if the eternal family of God were a biological one, then He would not have said these words either. 

Don’t get me wrong, I think Mary deserves a lot of respect for her strong faith, her devotion, and the struggles she went through as the earthly mother of Jesus Christ, but she should not be worshipped.  The same with Joseph.  He was a godly man of integrity, but Joseph and Mary were human beings. 

     The eternal family of God is made up of human beings saved by grace through faith in Jesus and His atonement.  Earthly relationships don’t bind us to the infinite.  Only the Spirit of the Living God can do that and He does that when human beings choose to believe and receive the Savior and His salvation of their own free moral agency. 

Joseph, Mary, and the rest of the earthly, biological family of Jesus are most likely part of the eternal family of God, but that’s between them and the Lord. They would have entered through the narrow gate of faith in Him just like the rest of us.  For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God and the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

“Lord, give us proper perspective on the famous people we find in Scripture.  Bring our attention and focus back to You.  You alone are our mediator between us and the Father.  There is no other way to Him than through You.  Thank You for making the way possible for us.  We love You, Jesus.  Amen.”

He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.

–John 1:11-13