He Offered Himself To Be Our Brother

By becoming human He offered Himself to be our brother.

Reflection on Today’s Readings, Tuesday of 3rd Week in Ordinary Time II, January 23rd, 2024
Texts: 2 Samuel 6:12b-15.17-19; Psalm 24:7-10; Mark 3: 31-35 

Jesus Christ tells us, today, how to become His relation. By becoming human He offered Himself to be our brother. We cannot be His brother if He had not been one of us. Incarnation is, therefore, an invitation to be His brothers and sisters. 

We respond to the invitation by doing the will of God. In the words of Jesus: “Here are my mother and my brethren! Whoever does the will of God is my brother, and sister, and mother.” This makes the brotherhood in Jesus Christ universal. It is no longer by blood, culture, nationality, race, colour, class, social status, etc. 

We do not become the brother of Jesus Christ by inheritance.  It is also not by transfer of gene. The relation to Jesus Christ is not in physical appearance. The relation with Jesus Christ is in the ways of our lives. It is about following the ways of the Lord, walking the same ways of life with Jesus Christ.  

Who owns our obedience?

Relation to Jesus Christ is about who owns our obedience. Devil can own our obedience; our obedience could belong to us; God could also own our obedience. If it is God who owns our obedience, we are brothers to Jesus Christ. This is because it is God who owns the obedience of Jesus Christ. He says, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to complete his work” (John 4:34).

We learn from the first reading that we are to welcome Jesus into our lives with joy. Just as the Israelites witnessed the presence of God by the ark of covenant, God is present with us in Jesus. 

Doing the will of God also means having faith in Jesus Christ, listening to Him. In the words of the Lord Himself : “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent” (John 6:29). It is in Jesus Christ we fully know the will of God and fulfil it. We become in Jesus Christ the children of God. Hence, being the brothers of Jesus Christ introduces us into communion with the Father. 

Prayer 

We thank You, our Lord, for the invitation to be Your brothers; strengthen our will to do the will of Your Father and thus respond to Your invitation; may we welcome You joyfully into our hearts. Amen  

Fr. Andrew  Olowomuke