Help with These Verses

[Cattitude]

I need some help interpreting these verses:

Matthew 10:35-37
“For I came to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. And as a man’s enemies shall be they of his own household. He that loveth father or mother more than me, is not worthy of me; and he that loveth son or daughter more than me, is not worthy of me.”

Matthew 12:47-50
“And one said unto him: Behold thy mother and thy brethren stand without, seeking thee. But he answering him that told him, said: Who is my mother, and who are my brethren? And stretching forth his hand towards his disciples, he said: Behold my mother and my brethren. For whosoever shall do the will of my Father, that is in heaven, he is my brother, and sister, and mother.”

Luke 18:29-30
“Who said to them: Amen, I say to you, there is no man that hath left house, or parents, or brethren, or wife, or children, for the kingdom of God’s sake, Who shall not receive much more in this present time, and in the world to come life everlasting”

I am in a discussion on another forum about the nature of our relationships with our family members/spouses in heaven. This individual is using these verses to support the idea that these relationships are completely irrelevant and meaningless in heaven.

I think that our relationship with the Lord will be #1, but that these verses do not completely exclude a continued spiritual connection with our loved ones.

I know this topic has been touched on in other threads, but I’d like some ideas on these verses in particular. Do they really relate to this topic, or is there some other meaning?

 

[JDHallKY]

The first and third passage deal with people letting family obligations get in the way of following Jesus. Obviously, we should love our families as a fruit of our love for God, but it is possible to let pressures to carry on the family business, etc., get in the way of following Jesus. Remember, “they left their nets and followed him.” Also, there are times when our families might actively try to discourage us in our faith. We cannot allow them to distract us, even though they are our families.

The second passage you quoted shows that to become a brother of Jesus means to follow Him. Jesus had blood relations, obviously, but his “true” family are His disciples. That verse shows that Mary, though she was His biological Mother, was truly His Mother because she, above all else, was the perfect disciple.

None of these passages deals directly with our relationships with family members in the age to come. Personally, I believe our family members will continue to be special to us, but we won’t have the same relationship with them we have now. We will be part of a much larger family.

I hope that helps a bit.

 

[LilyM]

Of course family’s totally unimportant, that’s why the commandment calls us to honour father and mother (and by extension all our family).

And that’s why, after He was found in the Temple and declared that He must be ‘about my Father’s business’, the FIRST order of His Father’s business then was for Jesus to return to Nazareth and be subject (not just nice, SUBJECT) to Mary and Joseph - until He was thirty years old no less!

In the first verse, what Jesus is stating is the reality of what His teaching will do. It doesn’t mean that He desires or approves of divided families, He simply acknowledges the fact that families will divide over religion.

And for the second verse - again it is not teaching that families are unimportant, not in the least, although it IS true that our relationship with God takes priority in the event of our obligations to family conflicting with doing His will.

 

[Cattitude]

Thanks for the replies. That is what I was thinking, but wanted to get some other opinions.

Does anyone know any scriptural evidence that we will be reunited with loved ones or at least aware of our earthly family connections?