How can Matthew 13:56 inspire us to value our own family relationships?

The family setting in Nazareth

Matthew 13:56

“ ‘Aren’t all His sisters with us? Where then did this Man get all these things?’ ”

• Neighbors point out Jesus’ sisters by name—not a vague idea but real, known relatives

• The verse follows a list of Jesus’ brothers (v. 55), showing He grew up in an ordinary household

• Scripture presents this as historical fact, underscoring that the eternal Son shared fully in family life on earth

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Jesus’ kinship affirms the value of our own families

• Mark 6:3 echoes the same reality, anchoring it in two Gospel witnesses

• By choosing to enter a home with parents and siblings, Jesus dignified the family unit established since Genesis 2:24

• His incarnation did not bypass family ties; it embraced them, proving that household relationships are not secondary but central to God’s design

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Biblical reasons to treasure family

• Exodus 20:12 — “Honor your father and your mother, so that your days may be long in the land that the LORD your God is giving you.”

• 1 Timothy 5:8 — “If anyone does not provide for his own, and especially his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.”

• Ephesians 6:1-4 — children obey, parents nurture; mutual responsibility brings blessing

• John 19:26-27 — even on the cross, Jesus secures care for His mother, modeling sacrificial devotion

• Proverbs 17:17; 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 — love endures, bears, and serves within close relationships

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Practical ways Matthew 13:56 motivates everyday care

• Remember the ordinary: share meals, conversations, and chores just as Jesus did with siblings in Nazareth

• Speak honor: words that belittle family members were foreign to Christ’s character; replace criticism with encouragement

• Provide tangible help: budgeting for aging parents, babysitting nieces or nephews, showing up at key moments (1 Timothy 5:8)

• Practice patient forgiveness: families see our worst; extend grace that “bears all things” (1 Corinthians 13:7; Colossians 3:13)

• Guard togetherness: set aside tech-free time, celebrate milestones, and worship as a household

• Serve God side-by-side: volunteer, pray, and study Scripture together, turning a biological bond into a spiritual partnership

By recognizing that the Savior Himself lived among brothers and sisters, Matthew 13:56 calls believers to honor, protect, and joyfully invest in the families God has entrusted to us.