Matthew 12:46 — Community Reflections

MATTHEW 12:46 — KING JAMES VERSION 0

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

While he was still speaking to the people, behold, his mother and his brothers stood outside, asking to speak to him. The appearance of Jesus' mother and brothers while he is teaching communicates the tension between natural family and kingdom family. The standing outside communicates that they have not been able to reach Jesus through the crowd — and the teaching that follows will use their position to make a point about who constitutes the true family of Jesus.

Church Fathers on Matthew 12:46

Because He had spoken all the aforesaid things in the power of His Father’s majesty, therefore the Evangelist proceeds to tell what answer He made to one that told Him that His mother and His brethren waited for Him without; 'While he yet spake unto the people, his mother and brethren stood without desiring to see him.'
Hilary of Poitiers · 4th century

We are to understand without doubt that this happened close upon the foregoing; for he begins to tell it with the words, 'And while he yet spake.' What can that 'yet' mean but that it was at the very time He spake the foregoing things?
Augustine · 4th century · De Cons. Ev., ii, 40

From this is taken one of Helvidius' propositions [margin note: Hieron. cont. Helvid. 14, et seq.], on the ground that mention is made in the Gospel of the brethren of the Lord. How says he, are they called brethren of the Lord, if they were not his brethren? But now it should be known that in divine Scripture men are said to be brethren in four different ways, by nature, by nation, by kindred, and by affection.
Jerome · 4th century

Read all 19 entries in the readerCatena Aurea · St. Thomas Aquinas, tr. J. H. Newman · public domain

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