The practical lesson which meets us in these verses is the tender affection with which the Lord Jesus regards his true disciples.
We should note how he speaks about everyone who does the will of his Father in heaven. He says they are "my brother and sister and mother" (verse 50). What gracious words these are! Who can conceive the depth of our dear Lord’s love towards his blood relatives? It was a pure, unselfish love. It must have been a mighty love, a love that passes man’s understanding. Yet here we see that all his believing people are counted as his relatives: he loves them, feels for them, cares for them as members of his family, bone of his bone, and flesh of his flesh.
There is a solemn warning here to all who mock and persecute true Christians on account of their religion. They do not consider what they are doing; they are persecuting the near relatives of the King of kings. They will find on the last day that they have mocked those whom the Judge of all regards as his "brother and sister and mother."
There is rich encouragement here for all believers. They are far more precious in their Lord’s eyes than they are in their own. Their faith may be feeble, their repentance weak, their strength small: they may be poor and needy in this world; but there is a glorious "whoever" in the last verse of this chapter which ought to cheer them. "whoever" believes is a near relative of Christ: the Elder Brother will provide for him in time and eternity, and never let him be cast away. There is not one "young sister" in the family of the redeemed, whom Jesus does not remember (Song of Songs 8:8). Joseph provided richly for all his relatives (Genesis 47:11–12), and the Lord Jesus will provide for his.
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