Luke 8:19

19-21. Christ's Mother and His Brethren.

19. Then came to him his mother and his brethren Our text has the plural; the reading paregeneto (sing.)would imply that the Virgin took a specially prominent part in the incident. Joseph is never mentioned after the scene in the Temple. This incident can hardly be the same as those in Mark 3:31-35; Matthew 12:46-50, because in both of those cases the context is wholly different. St Luke may however have misplaced this incident, since here, as in the other Evangelists, relatives of Jesus are represented as standing outside a houseof which the doors were densely thronged; whereas the explanation of the Parable had been given in private. It is here merely said that they wished to see Him; but the fact that they came in a body seems to shew that they desired in some way to direct or control His actions. The fullest account of their motives is found in Mark 3:21, where we are told that they wished "to seize Him" or "get possession of His person," because they said "He is beside Himself," perhaps echoing the feelings which had been encouraged by the Pharisees. We must remember that His brethren "did not believe in Him" (John 7:5), i.e. their belief in Him was only the belief that he was a Prophet who did not realize their Messianic ideal. It needed the Resurrection to convert them.

his brethren James, Joses, Simon, Judas. Possibly (Matthew 12:50; Mark 3:35) His sistersalso came.