Do the will of the Father and strive to live blameless and spotless! Commit and determine to live holy as He desires, and we will become His brothers and sisters. True brothers and sisters are fellow members of the Kingdom of Heaven, not merely fellow Christians in religion.
John 19:25-27 records: “Near the cross of Jesus stood His mother, His mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw His mother there, and the disciple whom He loved standing nearby, He said to her, ‘Woman, here is your son,’ and to the disciple, ‘Here is your mother.’ From that time on, this disciple took her into his home.” We can only imagine how tragic this moment must have been, which is a historical fact. Jesus left His home, was baptized, and never returned—or only rarely. When He was confronted, Jesus said, “Who is My mother, and who are My brothers?” As if He did not acknowledge His mother and siblings. But honestly, if brotherhood is only earthly, what is its meaning? All will pass away. The standard of true brotherhood is in eternity. Finally, His mother and her sister witnessed a tragedy so great: their beloved Son crucified. Yet on the cross, Jesus said to His mother, “Woman, here is your son,” pointing to John.
In truth, a child is not necessarily one born from our womb, but one who leads us into the Kingdom of Heaven. A mother is not necessarily the one who gave birth to us, but the one who guides us to the Kingdom of God. Many parents only adorn their children with clothes, jewelry, houses, and cars, yet never bring them into the Kingdom of Heaven. That is not a true mother. How noble it is to become part of the family of the Kingdom of God and to be brothers and sisters of Jesus. Yet we must be cautious, lest we be exploited by those who live in parasitic dependence—those who only burden, always ask for help, and drain us. We must indeed give chances, but if there is no change, we must draw the line.
No matter how bad people around us may be, as long as they are still willing to be guided, we must persevere. Like holding thorns—or even a thorny ball—that pierces our hands and makes them bleed. But with patience, we can soften those thorns and save that person. Let us not be frantic only for our own family while neglecting God’s work. There are still many children who cannot go to school, many who suffer. We will never regret it if we understand this word and live it out. Our life on earth is brief. We must do the Father’s will.
Too often, we give excessive attention to our families while neglecting the work of God. We build only temporary kingdoms, which will ultimately collapse, yet fail to bring others into the Kingdom of Heaven. In truth, that is perfection above all perfection. We often hear sermons that say, “The priority is family, not the church.” In reality, the foremost is neither family nor church, but God! The only priority: God. Second: God. Third: God. Fourth: God. Fifth: God. All is God. That is the most tremendous honor: to belong to the great family of the Kingdom of Heaven, as long as we are willing to do God’s will.
Open our hearts to others. Many people are in need. When we look at someone suffering, remember this: even though they were not born from the same womb as our mother, the Lord has made it clear—it is not about sharing the same earthly mother, but about whether they are members of the family of the Kingdom of Heaven. Do not forget, we are not owners—we are merely stewards. Give what is fitting for the family, but not excessively. And give what is due to God. How? Jesus said in Matthew 25:40, “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of Mine, you did for Me.’”
Lazarus was at Abraham’s side. We do not know the details of his life, but we know he was poor. Yet his poverty did not send him to hell. On the contrary, the rich man who let Lazarus lie outside his gate ended up in hell. God will send His brothers and sisters to us—those in need. But remember, there are also “false brothers” who may entrap us. In the end, we will all die, taking nothing with us. But whatever we have done for Jesus’ brothers and sisters—for those “Lazaruses”—will be remembered forever in the Father’s Kingdom in heaven. We will return home to heaven, but before then, let us fulfil our part!