Matthew 12:43-50

⁴³ “When an unclean spirit goes out of a person, it passes through waterless places seeking rest but does not find it.

⁴⁴ Then it says, ‘I will return to the house from which I left.’ When it returns, it finds the house empty, swept clean, and put in order.

⁴⁵ Then it goes and brings with it seven other spirits worse than itself, and they go in and live there, so the last state of that person is worse than the first. It will be that way also for this evil generation.”

⁴⁶ While Jesus was still speaking to the crowds, his mother and brothers came and stood outside, asking to speak to him.

⁴⁷ Someone told him, “See, your mother and your brothers are standing outside wanting to speak to you.”

⁴⁸ But he replied to the man who told him, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?”

⁴⁹ And pointing toward his disciples he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers!

⁵⁰ For whoever does what my Father in the sky wants is my brother and sister and mother.”

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our clout with God

First century Jewish Galilee had been given a small taste of the new life when Jesus walked among them, and he and his apostles ministered healing and deliverance to them. It went to their heads. They thought that since the Messiah had walked among them, they must be something special in God’s eyes. But when it came to the reality of living the life Jesus preached, they drew the line. They would not allow the gospel to change them.

Jesus described this choice by comparing that generation to a person who has a demon expelled from him. Later, the demon comes back, and finds the person’s life put in respectable order. Now that the man is cleaned up and religious, it will be that much better to corrupt him. That is what was happening in Galilee.

Some of Jesus’ family members come to visit him at this time. Someone points this out to Jesus, expecting him to defer to his visitors, because they have more clout with him. Instead, Jesus points to his disciples, and tells the crowd that these are the ones who are his kin. He is speaking to the same issue, the assumption that a person gains standing with God based on past experience with him. No, our standing with God is always by grace, and it is always shown by our willingness to do what God wants.

LORD, forgive us for assuming we have a standing with you that justifies lives lived in selfishness and pride. Change us with your gospel. May we never boast, except in the cross you bore in our place. May we never presume that we are anything except sinners in need of a Savior.