Luke 8:19-21 meaning

The parallel Gospel accounts for Luke 8:19-21 are Matthew 12:46-50 and Mark 3:31-35.

As Jesus was teaching, possibly to the large crowd from various cities (Luke 8:4), members of His family came to Him.

And His mother and brothers came to Him, and they were unable to get to Him because of the crowd (v 19).

Jesus’s mother was Mary. She miraculously conceived Jesus as a virgin, while she was betrothed to Joseph when the Holy Spirit came upon her (Luke 1:26-35, Matthew 1:18-25).

Jesus’s brothers were really His half-brothers. They had the same mother, but their father was Joseph. At least some of Jesus’s half-brothers are named in Matthew and Mark: “James and Joseph (or ‘Joses’), and Simon and Judas” (Matthew 13:55, Mark 6:3). According to Mark, Jesus also had half-sisters but they are left unnamed in the Gospels (Mark 6:3b).

Jesus's earthly father, Joseph, is not mentioned in the Scriptures beyond Jesus's childhood (Luke 2:41-51). It is predominantly assumed that Joseph died before Jesus began His earthly ministry.

Jesus’s half-brothers did not believe in Him during His earthly ministry (John 7:5).

Soon after His resurrection from the dead, Jesus appeared to His half-brother, James (1 Corinthians 15:7). This seems to have had a major impact in his belief in Jesus. Jesus’s half-brother James would go on to lead the Christian church in Jerusalem (Acts 15:13, 21:18). And he was the author of the Epistle of James where he describes himself as “a bond-servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ” (James 1:1). According to Josephus, James was stoned to death and martyred for his faith.

Jesus’s half-brother Jude was the author of the Epistle of Jude. He too described himself as “a bond-servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James” (Jude 1:1).

Presumably, James and Jude were with Jesus’s mother and half-brothers when they came to Him as He was teaching on this day.

The arrival of Jesus’s mother and half-brothers makes it possible that this event took place near Nazareth, Jesus’s hometown. The parallel record of this event in Matthew makes it apparent that He would not have actually been in the town of Nazareth since it reports that Jesus later departed from there and went to His hometown (Matthew 13:53-56).

But His mother and half-brothers were unable to get to Him because of the crowd. This indicates that so many people had come to hear Jesus teach that it was difficult for anyone, including His family, to get near to Him in this moment.

But even though they could not get to Jesus because of the crowd, they could send a message to Him through the crowd.

And it was reported to Him, “Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, wishing to see You” (v 20).

The report that His family members were waiting outside wishing to see Him, indicates that Jesus was teaching inside. The most likely place He would have been teaching would have been a synagogue—which was a place for Jewish rabbis to teach. He also could have been teaching in someone’s home or another sort of building.

Jesus’s family members were wishing to see Him. The nature and motive behind this visit is not disclosed in any of the Gospel accounts.

Instead of going outside to meet His family immediately, Jesus uses this moment to teach an important lesson.

But He answered and said to them, “My mother and My brothers are these who hear the word of God and do it” (v 21).

This statement conveys that Jesus has broadened the definition of His family to include anyone who does the will of God.

Jesus’s family is composed of those who are under the headship of God as the Father. In Matthew’s parallel account, Jesus describes God as “My Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 12:50).

In the Biblical model, a family lives together, facing and overcoming life's trials as one unit. They share resources, support one another’s endeavors, and care for each other. Even though Jesus had a family by blood, He is teaching that He also has a spiritual family. This spiritual family consists of these who hear the word of God and do it. His point is that anyone who follows God, His Father, is part of His spiritual family, regardless of where they live. In essence, whoever follows God is considered a member of Jesus's heavenly household.

This idea gives insight to a passage from Mark, where Jesus speaks of the rewards for those who walk in obedience to His commands:

“Peter began to say to Him, ‘Behold, we have left everything and followed You.’ Jesus said, ‘Truly I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or farms, for My sake and for the gospel's sake, but that he will receive a hundred times as much now in the present age, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and farms, along with persecutions; and in the age to come, eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last, first.’”
(Mark 10:28-31)

In this passage, Jesus promises great rewards for those who have given up worldly things for His sake—a "hundred times" as much as was lost. Within His list of things gained, Jesus mentions that we will receive a hundred mothers for every mother we lost. How can this be? It is being suggested that believers are meant to be one another's reward.

When we hear the word of God and do it, this faithful obedience also builds a bond of fellowship among followers of Christ. In God's family, we gain brothers, sisters, mothers, and children—spiritual family members who care for, support, and share life with us. This spiritual abundance transcends the losses we may endure for the sake of the gospel.