When our sinful and unloving behaviour brings our little world down around our heads, it can seem like the end. We have to meet ourselves in our experiences, and once we have learned the lessons, we find that God has not deserted us, but was there all along. The clemency that God shows us in not ignoring our sins but giving us an opportunity to get them right. What we think of as punishment is really an opportunity. If we think carefully about how God is interacting with us, we will be convinced of His love and mercy.

Jesus was speaking to crowds of people when His mother and brothers approached. When told of their arrival, His response was a complete reversal of what kinship used to mean. Jesus was not saying that family was unimportant, but He expanded to include those who belonged to His family. Whoever follows the will of the Father is Jesus' family. This is the definition of kinship for Jesus. Am I a true member of Jesus' family?