The words that Reverend Yvonne just read to you have come a long way to reach you. They have traveled a very long distance to be here, and I just want us to open our hearts and minds as we explore these ancient words from the Gospel of Mark. They contain deep wisdom—wisdom that inspires us to redefine the boundaries of what we call our family, inviting us to embrace a broader understanding of kinship within the family of faith.

Yet, this is a tough gospel to understand. First, how did you feel when Jesus rejected His mother and His siblings? That’s not the Jesus I know and love! Why would He do that? Ouch, that hurts. But let’s start there. Who did Jesus say was His family? He said, “Whoever does the will of God is my family. Whoever does the will of God is my family.”

Let’s break this down a little bit. We become close to people through shared experiences, right? Kinship often grows from common experiences. It’s been said that two people are drawn together when they can say to each other, “Oh, do you remember when this happened?” or “Do you remember this?” In the case of Jesus, He said, “Do this in remembrance of me.” That’s how we relate to others—we talk about the things we have in common. We introduce people as “my brother from another mother” or “my sister from a different mister.” We say these folks are like family to us because we share a bond with them, sometimes even stronger than with a blood relative. We are drawn close to them by the fact that we have something in common.

Kinship is also about common interests. We all share a common interest here as we strive to learn more about Christ and be more Christ-like. In the words of some theologians, we are trying to know the mind of Christ, to be Christ-like, to follow Him and do what He would do. This common desire, this common interest, is what cements or bonds us together. We are all struggling to do that. Developing this common interest in our community connects us in such a deep and enduring way that other activities cannot.

Remember, kinship is also about common obedience. The disciples were a mixed-up lot—they had all kinds of beliefs and opinions. Among them, there was a tax collector like Matthew and a fanatical nationalist like Simon the Zealot. They should have hated each other, yet they became brothers, bound together because both had accepted Jesus Christ as their God and Savior. We follow that same path when we proclaim that we love all, serve all, include all—no exceptions. We strive to be obedient, to the best of our individual abilities, to these beliefs.

Kinship is also about a common goal. Nothing unites people like a common goal or a united purpose. Our united purpose is to bring others to Christ, to bring them into the body of Christ. We are responsible for building the kingdom in our words and actions, right here on Earth, on this continent, in this space, and at this time. We are to be evangelists, each of us. We don’t have to use words all the time; sometimes, it’s just the way we behave.

We are to live into our baptismal vows, and you’ve heard me talk about those before. In word and deed, we are to proclaim by word and example the Good News of God in Christ. We are to seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving our neighbors as ourselves. We are to strive for justice and peace among all people, respecting the dignity of every human being. These are the tenets that unite us. Our common goal is to live into these baptismal promises and to help others do the same. When one of our fellow Good Samaritans needs help, we help them.

In these ancient gospel verses that you just heard, we witness a moment when Jesus’s biological family, including His mother and siblings, came to take charge of Him. They thought He had gone crazy. After all, He left a perfectly good carpenter job—the family business, which was doing quite well, I’m told—to become a wandering, homeless, penniless, anti-establishment itinerant preacher. You can just hear His mom saying, “I’m so proud.”

This scene unfolds during Jesus’s ministry, where He’s challenging social norms and religious norms. He’s healing the sick, casting out demons, and confronting the religious authorities of the time. Jesus responds to His family’s concerns—remember, they think He’s gone crazy—with a radical redefinition of family relationships. He looks around at the crowd gathered and declares, “Here are my mother and my brothers. Whoever does the will of God is my brother and my sister and my mother.”

What a profound statement. Jesus expands the concept of family beyond blood relations to encompass all those who do the will of God. In this declaration, Jesus challenges the cultural norms of His time and invites us to question our own understanding of family and community.

In our modern world, where kinship structures vary widely and the concept of family continues to evolve, the words of Jesus are as relevant as ever. We are called to see beyond biological ties and embrace a deeper kinship with all those who seek to do God’s will. This challenges us to examine our own biases, our own prejudices, and to consider whom we include and exclude from our circles of care and concern. Are we truly embracing the diversity of the family of the faithful, or are we inadvertently erecting barriers that exclude others?

As progressive Christians, we are called to extend the radical hospitality of Jesus, welcoming all into our midst regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, or social status. Our family is vast and inclusive, encompassing people from all walks of life who are united by their commitment to live out God’s love in the world. After all, that’s what God’s will is—to live out God’s love in the world.

So, the question becomes: How do we embody this expansive vision of kinship in our own lives? It’s not easy; it’s hard. It starts with a shift in perspective—a willingness to see beyond surface differences and recognize the inherent dignity and worth of every individual. And you know, that’s hard for us to do because our minds are trained to evaluate. We evaluate a person by their appearance, by the way they talk, by the way they dress, by the way they comb their hair, whether they have a ponytail or not, whether they have earrings, whether they have tattoos. We immediately draw conclusions about a person, and nine times out of ten, maybe even ten times out of ten, we’re completely wrong. But our minds do that.

As a twin, I know this painfully firsthand because people will compare and contrast. “Oh, you’re fatter than your brother,” or “Oh, you’re taller than your brother.” We’re just trained to do that. We take in the visual and immediately form a judgment on somebody, perhaps even by the way they’re talking.

So, how do we embody this expansive vision of kinship? By actively reaching out to those on the margins, listening to their stories, and standing in solidarity with them in the face of injustice. By creating communities where all are welcomed, affirmed, and empowered to live out their true selves. And also by recognizing that our actions have consequences, both for good and for ill. When we exclude others, when we perpetuate systems of oppression, we are betraying the very essence of Jesus’s message of love and inclusion.

As we reflect on these words from Mark that have come a very long way to reach us, may we be inspired to embrace the family of faith in all its diversity and richness. Let us strive to live out the radical love of Jesus, extending radical hospitality to all, and working together to create a more just and radically compassionate world. And may we always do the radical will of God.

Amen.