Mark 3:33

And he answered them, saying, Who is my mother, or my brethren?

And {G2532} he answered {G611} them {G846}, saying {G3004}, Who {G5101} is {G2076} my {G3450} mother {G3384}, or {G2228} my {G3450} brethren {G80}?

He replied, "Who are my mother and my brothers?"

But Jesus replied, “Who are My mother and My brothers?”

And he answereth them, and saith, Who is my mother and my brethren?

Mark 3:33 captures a pivotal moment where Jesus challenges conventional notions of family, setting the stage for a profound teaching on spiritual kinship. This verse is the direct question Jesus poses in response to being told His mother and brothers are seeking Him.

Context

This verse is found amidst a period of intense ministry for Jesus in Galilee. Just prior, He had been performing miracles, including casting out demons and healing the sick, which drew both large crowds and severe opposition from religious leaders who accused Him of being possessed by Beelzebub (Mark 3:22). Simultaneously, His own family, hearing of His actions and the frenzy surrounding Him, had come to take Him away, believing He was "beside himself" (Mark 3:21). While Jesus was teaching a crowd, word came that His mother and brothers were outside, wishing to speak with Him. His question in verse 33 is His immediate, thought-provoking response to this announcement.

Key Themes

  • Redefinition of Family: Jesus uses this moment to powerfully shift the focus from biological ties to spiritual connection. He doesn't deny His earthly family, but rather elevates the concept of belonging to God's family through faith and obedience. This theme is central to understanding His subsequent statement in Mark 3:35.
  • Obedience to God's Will: The implicit answer to Jesus's rhetorical question in verse 33 is revealed in verse 35: those who do the will of God are His true family. This emphasizes that genuine relationship with Christ is founded on active submission to God's purposes, not merely on lineage or acquaintance.
  • Prioritizing God's Kingdom: Jesus's mission was paramount, and His earthly family's concerns, while understandable, could not deter Him from His divine calling. This highlights the supreme importance of the kingdom of God over all earthly relationships and comforts.

Linguistic Insights

The question "Who is my mother, or my brethren?" uses simple, direct language in the Greek (τίς ἐστίν μου ἡ μήτηρ ἢ οἱ ἀδελφοί; tis estin mou hē mētēr ē hoi adelphoi?). The force of the statement lies not in complex vocabulary, but in its rhetorical nature. Jesus isn't genuinely asking for identification; rather, He's prompting His listeners (and us) to consider a deeper, spiritual reality regarding kinship and belonging. It's a question designed to open up a new understanding of who truly belongs to Him.

Practical Application

For believers today, Mark 3:33 challenges us to examine our own priorities and understanding of family. It reminds us that:

  • Spiritual Bonds are Paramount: Our deepest and most enduring connections are with fellow believers who share faith in Christ and strive to do God's will. This doesn't diminish the importance of biological family but places spiritual family in its proper, eternal perspective.
  • Obedience Defines Kinship with Christ: True discipleship is demonstrated by hearing and doing God's word, as Jesus also teaches in Luke 8:21. It is this active obedience that identifies us as children of God and brothers/sisters of Christ.
  • Our Identity is in Christ: Our primary identity is not defined by our earthly relationships or achievements, but by our relationship with Jesus and our commitment to His Father's will. This provides a profound sense of belonging and purpose within the family of God.
Note: Commentary was generated by an advanced AI, utilizing a prompt that emphasized Biblical fidelity over bias. We've found these insights to be consistently reliable, yet we always encourage prayerful discernment through the Holy Spirit. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

  • Mark 3:21

    And when his friends heard [of it], they went out to lay hold on him: for they said, He is beside himself.

  • Deuteronomy 33:9

    Who said unto his father and to his mother, I have not seen him; neither did he acknowledge his brethren, nor knew his own children: for they have observed thy word, and kept thy covenant.

  • Mark 6:3

    Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joses, and of Juda, and Simon? and are not his sisters here with us? And they were offended at him.

  • 2 Corinthians 5:16

    ¶ Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we [him] no more.

  • John 7:3

    His brethren therefore said unto him, Depart hence, and go into Judaea, that thy disciples also may see the works that thou doest.

  • John 7:5

    For neither did his brethren believe in him.

  • John 2:4

    Jesus saith unto her, Woman, what have I to do with thee? mine hour is not yet come.
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