What Jesus said about Family & Extended Family

Jesus on family: leaving father and mother, honoring parents, loving family without putting it above Him, and His true family of those who do God’s will.

1. A man leaves father and mother and is joined to his wife.

   Read the Scripture (KJV) Matthew 19:5; Mark 10:7–8

   King James Version

   Matthew 19:5

   ⁵And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh?

   Mark 10:7–8

   ⁷For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife;

   ⁸And they twain shall be one flesh: so then they are no more twain, but one flesh.

2. Honor father and mother must not be nullified through religious loopholes.

   Read the Scripture (KJV) Matthew 15:4–6; Mark 7:9–13

   King James Version

   Matthew 15:4–6

   ⁴For God commanded, saying, Honour thy father and mother: and, He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death.

   ⁵But ye say, Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, It is a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me;

   ⁶And honour not his father or his mother, he shall be free. Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition.

   Mark 7:9–13

   ⁹And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition.

   ¹⁰For Moses said, Honour thy father and thy mother; and, Whoso curseth father or mother, let him die the death:

   ¹¹But ye say, If a man shall say to his father or mother, It is Corban, that is to say, a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; he shall be free.

   ¹²And ye suffer him no more to do ought for his father or his mother;

   ¹³Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye.

3. Allegiance to Jesus can create division even within families.

   Read the Scripture (KJV) Matthew 10:34–36; Luke 12:51–53

   King James Version

   Matthew 10:34–36

   ³⁴Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.

   ³⁵For I am come 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.

   ³⁶And a man’s foes shall be they of his own household.

   Luke 12:51–53

   ⁵¹Suppose ye that I am come to give peace on earth? I tell you, Nay; but rather division:

   ⁵²For from henceforth there shall be five in one house divided, three against two, and two against three.

   ⁵³The father shall be divided against the son, and the son against the father; the mother against the daughter, and the daughter against the mother; the mother in law against her daughter in law, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.

4. Love for family must not outrank allegiance to Jesus.

   Read the Scripture (KJV) Matthew 10:37; Luke 14:26

   King James Version

   Matthew 10:37

   ³⁷He 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.

   Luke 14:26

   ²⁶If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.

5. Jesus' true family includes those who do God's will.

   Read the Scripture (KJV) Matthew 12:46–50; Mark 3:31–35; Luke 8:19–21

   King James Version

   Matthew 12:46–50

   ⁴⁶While he yet talked to the people, behold, his mother and his brethren stood without, desiring to speak with him.

   ⁴⁷Then one said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren stand without, desiring to speak with thee.

   ⁴⁸But he answered and said unto him that told him, Who is my mother? and who are my brethren?

   ⁴⁹And he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren!

   ⁵⁰For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.

   Mark 3:31–35

   ³¹There came then his brethren and his mother, and, standing without, sent unto him, calling him.

   ³²And the multitude sat about him, and they said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren without seek for thee.

   ³³And he answered them, saying, Who is my mother, or my brethren?

   ³⁴And he looked round about on them which sat about him, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren!

   ³⁵For whosoever shall do the will of God, the same is my brother, and my sister, and mother.

   Luke 8:19–21

   ¹⁹Then came to him his mother and his brethren, and could not come at him for the press.

   ²⁰And it was told him by certain which said, Thy mother and thy brethren stand without, desiring to see thee.

   ²¹And he answered and said unto them, My mother and my brethren are these which hear the word of God, and do it.

6. Family betrayal and hatred may accompany faithful witness.

   Read the Scripture (KJV) Matthew 10:21–22; Mark 13:12–13; Luke 21:16–17

   King James Version

   Matthew 10:21–22

   ²¹And the brother shall deliver up the brother to death, and the father the child: and the children shall rise up against their parents, and cause them to be put to death.

   ²²And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.

   Mark 13:12–13

   ¹²Now the brother shall betray the brother to death, and the father the son; and children shall rise up against their parents, and shall cause them to be put to death.

   ¹³And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.

   Luke 21:16–17

   ¹⁶And ye shall be betrayed both by parents, and brethren, and kinsfolks, and friends; and some of you shall they cause to be put to death.

   ¹⁷And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake.

7. The prodigal son teaches repentance, lavish welcome, and restoration of the lost.

   Read the Scripture (KJV) Luke 15:11–24

   King James Version

   Luke 15:11–24

   ¹¹And he said, A certain man had two sons:

   ¹²And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me. And he divided unto them his living.

   ¹³And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living.

   ¹⁴And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want.

   ¹⁵And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine.

   ¹⁶And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him.

   ¹⁷And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father’s have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!

   ¹⁸I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee,

   ¹⁹And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants.

   ²⁰And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.

   ²¹And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son.

   ²²But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet:

   ²³And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry:

   ²⁴For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry.

8. The older brother warns against self-righteous resentment of grace.

   Read the Scripture (KJV) Luke 15:25–32

   King James Version

   Luke 15:25–32

   ²⁵Now his elder son was in the field: and as he came and drew nigh to the house, he heard musick and dancing.

   ²⁶And he called one of the servants, and asked what these things meant.

   ²⁷And he said unto him, Thy brother is come; and thy father hath killed the fatted calf, because he hath received him safe and sound.

   ²⁸And he was angry, and would not go in: therefore came his father out, and intreated him.

   ²⁹And he answering said to his father, Lo, these many years do I serve thee, neither transgressed I at any time thy commandment: and yet thou never gavest me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends:

   ³⁰But as soon as this thy son was come, which hath devoured thy living with harlots, thou hast killed for him the fatted calf.

   ³¹And he said unto him, Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine.

   ³²It was meet that we should make merry, and be glad: for this thy brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found.

9. Jesus entrusts his mother and beloved disciple to one another.

   Read the Scripture (KJV) John 19:26–27

   King James Version

   John 19:26–27

   ²⁶When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by, whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy son!

   ²⁷Then saith he to the disciple, Behold thy mother! And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home.