A small but telling example of how Jesus saw those who were close to him.

A woman in the crowd, amazed at the power and the attractiveness of this young rabbi, cried out, “How proud your mother must be of you! After all, she bore you and brought you up!”

A natural sentiment. Family is closest to our hearts, and whatever good we do, we tend to see that our nearest relatives benefit; just as in times of distress, it’s family that we lean on. And of family, who closer in blood and kinship than our mothers and fathers?

Not so with Jesus and in the kingdom he ushers on earth. Blood relationship is no longer significant. What is significant is ‘hearing the word of God and keeping it.’ What is important is keeping faith with what God asks of us, becoming a disciple, one whose life is ruled by God’s will.

If Mary is closest to Jesus, it’s not because of her physical relationship of motherhood; it’s because she was the first to hear God’s word and treasure it in her heart. She accepted God’s will in her life as a young woman.

This then is the kingdom of the Spirit: it is not restricted by race, class and gender. Rather, it is open to men and women of all kinds, and invites them to God’s banquet of grace, compassion, truth and goodness. Everyone who hears God’s word and keeps it is welcome here.