Does Salvation.....

Mary was not excluded from Jesus description of who His mother (singular), sisters, and brothers were___those who hear the word of God and do it. The gospel teaches us that she did just this when God chose her and she responded, “be it done unto me according to your word”. Jesus has no other mothers. We can never be His mother. Mary is never called the disciple’s spiritual sister in Holy Scripture. Jesus never calls Mary His “sister”, yet he calls us His brothers and sisters. Jesus Christ is God and my brother and as such, His mother is mine, because I seek to do the will of God. This is the same reason she is the beloved disciples mother and he her son, and taken into his household as his own.

I will accept the teaching of Jesus Christ and not discount Jesus words to the beloved Apostle, and say it means only, take care of this woman in your home until she dies. Jesus last words on the cross was not last minute housekeeping, meant to have nothing to do with us as Christians. It is the gospel of Jesus Christ and can not be torn apart from what Jesus taught being a Father, Son, brother, sister, and mother in the spiritual sense mean.

God Bless

 

Then please do so...

Matthew 12:46 While He was still talking to the multitudes, behold, His mother and brothers stood outside, seeking to speak with Him. 47Then one said to Him, "Look, Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, seeking to speak with You."
48But He answered and said to the one who told Him, "Who is My mother and who are My brothers?" 49And He stretched out His hand toward His disciples and said, "Here are My mother and My brothers! 50For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother."

Luke 8:19 Then His mother and brothers came to Him, and could not approach Him because of the crowd. 20And it was told Him by some, who said, "Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, desiring to see You."
21But He answered and said to them, "My mother and My brothers are these who hear the word of God and do it."

Mark 3:31 Then His brothers and His mother came, and standing outside they sent to Him, calling Him. 32And a multitude was sitting around Him; and they said to Him, "Look, Your mother and Your brothers are outside seeking You."
33But He answered them, saying, "Who is My mother, or My brothers?" 34And He looked around in a circle at those who sat about Him, and said, "Here are My mother and My brothers! 35For whoever does the will of God is My brother and My sister and mother."

Notice who Jesus was talking about when He declared who His mother and brothers were... it was not Mary. (Although, she does belong by the same virtue as all other believers.) His words specifically break the focus on physical relationships by pointing toward those listening to Him in contrast with those who were on the outside (Mary included).

 

I think you've missed Kathryn's point. It has nothing to do with the proximity of Jesus' mother to Jesus in the noted verses.

The distinction is that Jesus (in all three samples noted in your post) mentions :

1.) Mother

2.) Brother(s)

and/or 3.) Sister(s)

How is it that we are 1 of the above? Answer:
We are brothers and sisters in Christ by "whoever does the will of God".

Defining ourselves as spiritual Brothers and Sisters is easy then according to the proffered scriptures. But who amongst us is qualified or best suited to be noted as a or the spiritual Mother of Jesus?! For as you've noted the term "mother" is indeed included in all three samplings of scripture.

Do you not claim other like minded christians who do the will of God as your spiritual brothers and sisters? Who do you refer to as your spiritual Mother?

We Catholics refer to Mary as our spiritual Mother. And that I think was the gist of Kathyrns post.

You may not refer to Mary as your spiritual Mother, but as someone who obviously did "the will of God" and who was a true mother of our Lord Jesus (to the point that she was the sole provider of the flesh part of the hypo-static union of God and Man) we feel we have every right to do so.
And no that doesn't make her divine! Or worshipped.
Peace of Christ

 

It isn't a matter of who is inside or outside, it is about who His mother (singular), brothers, and sisters are. He teaches His mother, and brothers, and sisters, are those who hear the word of God and do it regardless of blood relationships.

Mary is His true mother in the sense that is important not for suckling Jesus the Christ and giving him birth but because she heard the word of God and did it, by saying "Be it done unto me according to your word." Mary after being Jesus birth mother didn't become Jesus' spiritual sister and hence our sister. She isn't Jesus' sister and neither is she ours. She is His mother and ours if we belong to Him.

Jesus was teaching that we are His brothers and sister by hearing the word of God and acting on it. Has nothing to do with being inside or outside.

 

Great question!

 

Proximity at the time of His words has everything to do with what was being taught. It is necessary to the context and cannot be ignored in any valid interpretation of the meaning.

You left something out. He didn't just say brothers (and possibly sisters). He said "mother" in reference, not to Mary who was outside, but in reference to those around Him.

In context, someone in the group to whom He was speaking.

Yes.

I don't.

However, if I were to extend this relationship to anyone, it would follow the later references to my kinship to other believers. I would assign it possibly to the elder women within the church in Titus 2.

You can believe whatever you like. However, you cannot derive this from scripture without twisting a contorting the text.

There were most likely women in the crowd to whom Jesus directly spoke who likewise did the will of God. Since Christ's comments were directly to them, would you likewise claim these unnamed women as "spiritual mothers"?

The key is "the flesh part". Providing someone with a physical body through birth does not establish a spiritual relationship. Mary was not Christ's "spiritual mother" anymore than any of the people to whom He directly spoke in the texts cited.

 

Proximity has absolutely nothing to do with it. Jesus was seizing the moment. That is, he was taking advantage of the opportunity to point out to his listeners that "those who do the will of God" are (What?) 1.): His spiritual brothers,or 2.) His spiritual sisters and/or 3.) His spiritual mother.

This at the response to the statement that his brothers, sisters and Mother were outside and wishing to see him. His mother could have been 3000 miles away and the statement would have the same meaning for it could be argued that Christ himself removed the physical family presence emphasis when he asked "Who is my Mother, or my brothers?"

The question He himself answers. And I've provided ,along with Kathryn the rationale and logic behind Catholics viewing Mary as our spiritual Mother.

So what you're saying is that when Jesus said that those who do the will of God are his mother, brothers and sisters, he was speaking only and specifically to those within earshot.

I said: But who amongst us is qualified or best suited to be noted as a or the spiritual Mother of Jesus?!

And you answered:

Surely you jest....Try and use that same rationale on other proclamations of Christ. ..."And the Meek shall inheiret the kingdom of God. ...that is you meek in the back that can barely hear me". C'mon now.

You further your stance with:

Is it a contortion of text to view Mary as the Mother of Jesus? Is it a contortion of text to say that she lived "according to the will of God"? (remember her submission to God's will with these words "be it done as is God's will)

If by scripture we can see that Mary lived according to God's will does she not qualify for one of the three designations that Christ referenced? If Jesus looked at her as His own Mother who lived by God's will (something He knew better than you or I) why is it so hard for you to accept the concept that Catholics as spirtual brothers and sisters of Christ view Mary as our spiritual Mother.
If you are willing to view the women referenced in Titus 2 as spiritual Mothers by what right can you say that we can't view Mary as our spiritual Mother. Unless of course you're prepared to say that she wasn't a mother to Christ or that she did not live according to the will of God.