Luke 8:20Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

One of His prophets clearly articulated to those engaged in religious formalities, “I hate, I abominate your feast days; I will not smell the savor of your solemn assemblies; though ye offer Me burnt offerings and your meat offerings, I will not accept them; neither will I regard the peace offerings of your fat beasts.” Therefore, what should the spiritual offering be that we present before Him? The wise Psalmist instructs us: “I said unto the Lord, Thou art my Lord; my goodness extendeth not to Thee.” When we approach Him in this manner, He will indeed accept us, for this offering He cherishes; this is our authentic worship. It is written, “Hath the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold! To obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.” Our lesson underscores that obedience to God results in every blessing.

Some people approached Christ to speak about His holy mother and His brethren. He responded, “My mother and My brethren are these which hear the word of God and do it.” Let no one think that Christ belittled the honor due to His mother or dismissed the love owed to His siblings. He, who spoke the law through Moses, commanded, “Honor thy father and thy mother, that it may be well with thee.” How could He dismiss love for His brethren, when He instructed us to love even our enemies? He said, “Love your enemies.” Thus, what lesson does Christ want to impart? He seeks to elevate His love for those who are willing to submit to His commandments, a matter I will elucidate further.

The most profound respect and affection are due to our mothers and siblings. So, if He claims that those who hear His word and act upon it are His mother and brethren, it is evident that He grants a profound love to those who follow Him, encouraging them to embrace His words willingly and submit their hearts to His yoke through complete obedience. The Lord delights in those whose hearts are thus attuned, as conveyed through one of His holy prophets: “And on whom will I look, except on the humble and contrite spirit, and trembles at My word?”

Just as our earthly fathers take pleasure in sons who choose to do good and align their hearts with theirs, the Almighty cherishes the obedient and bestows His mercy on those who genuinely heed His voice, while rejecting the disobedient and obstinate. He rebuked the Jews for their wickedness, saying, “A son honoureth his father, and a servant his master: if I be a father, where is Mine honour? and if I be a master, where is My fear?” We are called to either respect the Lord as Master or to honor Him as Father— a much greater and nobler distinction, for love casts out fear.

It is clear that obedience bears reward, while disobedience leads to consequence. God, through His holy prophet, revealed to those who ignored His commands: “Behold, they who serve Me shall eat, but ye shall suffer hunger; behold, they who serve Me shall drink, but ye shall suffer thirst; behold, they who obey Me shall rejoice, but ye shall lament; behold, they who serve Me shall be in joy, but ye shall groan and wail.”

Let us observe from Moses’ writings the sorrow that disobedience has brought upon us. We were expelled from a paradise of delight and marked for death; although intended for eternal life— as God originally created the universe— we have become cursed and bound by sin. How, then, did we escape this tragic fate, and who came to our aid in our deep distress? It was the Only-begotten Word of God, who humbled Himself to our condition, took on human form, and became obedient even unto death. This has lifted the guilt of Adam’s disobedience, nullified the curse, and diminished the reign of death. Paul affirms this truth: “For as by the disobedience of one man, many were made sinners; so by the obedience of One shall many be made righteous.”

Humanity’s nature became tainted through the first man, but it is completely justified anew in Christ. He serves as the second origin for our race following the first; thus, everything becomes fresh in Him. Paul writes, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature; old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”

To draw us into obedience, Christ promises us extraordinary honors and extends His boundless love, stating, “My mother and My brethren are those who hear the word of God and do it.” Who among men would be so heartless as to deny honor and love to their mother and brethren? The divine law of nature compels us to this respect. When we yield to the commands of the Savior and become His followers, how does He regard us at the judgment seat of God? Is it not with compassion and love? What could surpass this honor and grace? There is nothing that can compare to such a splendorous gift. He invites us to Himself, so that where He is, we may also be. For He has promised, saying, “I will go and prepare a place for you and will return to take you unto Myself, that where I am, there ye may be also.”

Thus, servitude to Him is a worthy pursuit, a sign of noble honors. This fulfillment does not come merely from hearing the words of God but from actively striving to execute His commands. One of the holy Apostles reminds us: “But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. For if any be a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man beholding his natural face in a glass: for he beholdeth himself and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.” While this argument may suffice for those guided by right reason, I will add the insightful words of blessed Paul: “For the earth which drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed, receiveth blessing from God; but that which beareth thorns and briars is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing; whose end is to be burned.”

The Savior pours forth the rain of spiritual consolation upon the hearts of those who listen, through the sacred teachings of salvation. Therefore, a discerning heart will yield fruits of a rich spiritual harvest, while the negligent will be devoid of virtue’s commendation, bearing thorns instead of fruit. The fate of such negligence is echoed in the words of Isaiah: “For the vineyard of the Lord of Hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah His pleasant plant; and He looked for judgment, but behold, oppression; for righteousness, but behold, a cry." This punishment befell Israel for neglecting its duty to produce fitting fruit amidst God’s commands. The Lord stated, “Now I will tell you what I will do to My vineyard: I will take away the hedge thereof, and it shall be eaten up; I will break down the wall thereof, and it shall be trodden down; and I will lay it waste; it shall not be pruned nor digged; but there shall come up briers and thorns.”

It is evident that God has no regard for a wicked soul that produces thorns. Such a soul is left defenseless, without protection, exposed to thieves and wild beasts, devoid of spiritual consolation. This lack of “rain” signifies their lack of divine protection. When Israel was subjected to such trials, the Psalmist lamented, addressing God: “Thou broughtest a vine out of Egypt; Thou cast out the nations, and planted it.” He described how its branches reached to the sea and its roots to the river, but pleaded, “Why hast Thou broken down its walls, so that all who pass by do pluck her?” For the defenseless soul, deemed unworthy of heavenly protection, becomes prey for evil spirits, plundered by Satan and his minions.

To avoid such grave trials, let us submit our minds to Christ, the Savior. Let us embrace the Word of God and act upon it; if we choose this path, He will reward us with lofty honors, as He is the grantor of such crowns. To Him, and with Him, be praise to God the Father, along with the Holy Spirit, forever and ever. Amen.

Consequently, those who seek to encounter Christ should not remain outside, for the Word is within you, in your mouth and in your heart (Deut. 30:14; Rom. 10:8). Hence, the Word dwells within, and the light resides in you! The psalmist urges: Come to Him and be illuminated (Psalm 33:5). If those who are outside—even relatives—are not acknowledged, perhaps for our instruction, will He recognize us if we too stand at a distance?

Furthermore, let no one regard it as a violation of familial duty when the law's decree is upheld. A man who leaves his father and mother and unites with his wife shall become one flesh (Gen. 2:24; Matt. 19:5; Mark 10:7-8; Eph. 5:31); this divine ordinance is indeed fulfilled in Christ and His Church (see: Eph. 5:29-32). It follows that one’s connections to relatives should not surpass the bond to one's own body. Here, the Mother is not negated, as certain heretics may claim in their attempts to ensnare Him—He acknowledged His Mother even while on the cross (cf. John 19:26). The heavenly commandments are thus prioritized over physical kinship. Additionally, another interpretation is valid: He demonstrated kinship in relation to the Jews, from whom Christ is physically descended (see: Rom. 9:5).

His brothers accompanied her, intending to take Him home. However, the Lord dismissed this cunning ploy of His adversaries. "Why do you direct Me to My mother and brothers? The Son of Man has family," He declared. For those who hear and embrace the word of life, those who believe, they comprise His true family—both mother and brothers.

After this, Christ addressed those seeking a miraculous sign from Him, received the word about His mother and brothers approaching Him, and in response, He indicated His devoted disciples, acknowledging them as His true kin—demonstrating a deeper spiritual connection with them than with His earthly relatives, provided that the latter are also His faithful followers.

However, His mother, the Blessed Virgin Mary, held a different perspective; she recognized Him as the Son of God and approached Him not to deter Him from fulfilling His Father's will but to ascertain whether He was indeed in the peril that His brothers alleged.

Who is My mother? And who are My brethren?" He then indicated His disciples, proclaiming, "Behold My mother and My brethren; for whoever does the will of My Father in heaven, that person is My brother, and sister, and mother," or as recorded by Luke the Evangelist, "My mother and My brethren are those who hear the word of God and put it into practice" (8:21). In this declaration, the Lord did not exclude His earthly mother from the joy found in hearing and obeying God’s word, for she had listened and acted upon it even before others, and with regard to her own principle of minimizing earthly acclaim, He elevated all who heard and obeyed the word of God. As Blessed Theophylact pointed out, without denying natural kinship, He "fulfilled it with the kinship of virtue."