Luke 8:21
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But He replied, “My mother and brothers are those who hear the word of God and carry it out.”
Commentaries
Excerpts gathered from published commentaries to ground the reading.
A GALILEAN CIRCUIT, WITH THE TWELVE AND CERTAIN MINISTERING WOMEN. (In Luke only). (Luk 8:1-3) went--travelled, made a progress. throughout every city and village--through town and village. preaching, &c.--the Prince of itinerant preachers scattering far and wide the seed of the Kingdom.
Open source ↗Most of this chapter is a repetition of divers passages of Christ's preaching and miracles which we had before in Matthew and Mark; they are all of such weight, that they are worth repeating, and therefore they are repeated, that out of the mouth not only of two, but of three, witnesses every word may be established. Here is, I. A general account of Christ's preaching, and how he had subsistence for himself and his numerous family by the charitable contributions of good people (Luk 8:1-3). II. The parable of the sower, and the four sorts of ground, with the exposition of it, and some inferences from it (Luk 8:4-18). III. The preference which Christ gave to his obedient disciples before his nearest relations according to the flesh (Luk 8:19-21). IV. His stilling a storm at sea, with a word's speaking (Luk 8:22-25). V. His casting a legion of devils out of a man that was possessed by them (Luk 8:26-40). VI. His healing the woman that had the bloody issue, and raising Jairus's daughter to life (v. 41-56).
Open source ↗8:21 those who hear God’s word and obey it: Jesus was not rejecting his family but announcing that spiritual relationships—being part of God’s family—supersede family ties.
Open source ↗Cross-references
Other passages the community most often connects to this one. Tap to read.
Be doers of the word, and not hearers only. Otherwise, you are deceiving yourselves.
If you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.
Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. The one who does good is of God; the one who does evil has not seen God.
If you know that He is righteous, you also know that everyone who practices righteousness has been born of Him.
And: “I will be a Father to you, and you will be My sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.”
But the seeds on good soil are those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, cling to it, and by persevering produce a crop.
And the King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of Mine, you did for Me.’
“Do not cling to Me,” Jesus said, “for I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go and tell My brothers, ‘I am ascending to My Father and your Father, to My God and your God.’”
While Peter was still speaking, a bright cloud enveloped them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Listen to Him!”
So from now on we regard no one according to the flesh. Although we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer.