Luke 8:20 kjv
And it was told him by certain which said, Thy mother and thy brethren stand without, desiring to see thee.
Luke 8:20 nkjv
And it was told Him by some, who said, "Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, desiring to see You."
Luke 8:20 niv
Someone told him, "Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to see you."
Luke 8:20 esv
And he was told, "Your mother and your brothers are standing outside, desiring to see you."
Luke 8:20 nlt
Someone told Jesus, "Your mother and your brothers are standing outside, and they want to see you."
Luke 8 20 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference Note |
|---|---|---|
| Mt 12:46-50 | While He was still talking to the multitudes, behold, His mother and brothers stood outside... | Direct parallel account in Matthew. |
| Mk 3:31-35 | Then His brothers and His mother came... and called Him. | Direct parallel account in Mark. |
| Lk 8:21 | But He answered and said to them, “My mother and My brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it.” | Jesus' direct response and redefinition of family. |
| Jn 1:12-13 | But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God... | Spiritual birth and adoption into God's family. |
| Jn 6:63 | It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life. | Emphasis on spiritual reality over physical. |
| Jas 1:22-25 | But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. | The crucial importance of obedience to the Word. |
| Mt 7:21 | Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. | Doing God's will as the mark of true discipleship. |
| Lk 11:28 | But He said, "More than that, blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it!" | Emphasizes blessedness found in hearing and obeying God's word. |
| Rom 2:13 | (for not the hearers of the law are just in the sight of God, but the doers of the law will be justified... | Doing God's law (Word) for righteousness. |
| Gal 3:26 | For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. | Becoming children of God through faith. |
| Eph 2:19 | Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God. | Believers as part of God's spiritual household/family. |
| Heb 2:11 | For both He who sanctifies and those who are being sanctified are all of one; for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren, | Christ calling believers His brethren. |
| 1 Jn 2:3 | Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. | Keeping commandments as evidence of knowing God. |
| Ps 119:1-2 | Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the Lord! Blessed are those who keep His testimonies... | Old Testament emphasis on the blessedness of obeying God's statutes. |
| Prov 28:9 | One who turns away his ear from hearing the law, Even his prayer is an abomination. | Warns against merely hearing without obeying. |
| Deut 14:1 | “You are the children of the Lord your God..." | OT concept of Israel as God's children, spiritual lineage. |
| Jn 4:34 | Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work." | Jesus' own priority of doing the Father's will. |
| Mt 10:37 | He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me... | Radical reorientation of allegiance toward Christ. |
| Lk 14:26 | "If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple." | Exaggeration highlighting supreme priority of discipleship. |
| Acts 1:14 | These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers. | Jesus' brothers eventually becoming believers after His resurrection. |
Luke 8 verses
Luke 8 20 Meaning
Luke 8:20 records the moment messengers inform Jesus that His mother and brothers are standing outside and wish to speak with Him. This event immediately precedes Jesus' profound redefinition of true kinship, shifting the focus from physical lineage to spiritual connection based on obedience to God's Word. It sets the stage for His declaration that those who hear the Word of God and do it are truly His family.
Luke 8 20 Context
Luke 8:20 serves as a pivotal interjection in a chapter filled with Jesus' parables and powerful miracles. Immediately before this verse, Jesus concludes His explanation of the parable of the sower and offers further teaching on how one hears and handles the Word of God, emphasizing its transformative power and accountability (Lk 8:16-18). His family's arrival is therefore not a casual visit but a backdrop for His crucial teaching in the very next verse (Lk 8:21), redefining the concept of "family" from a physical bloodline to a spiritual bond of obedience.
In the broader context of Luke chapter 8, Jesus' ministry is expanding significantly, demonstrating His authority over nature, illness, and demonic forces, alongside His public teaching. The chapter presents a shift in His audience, separating those who genuinely hear and respond from those who merely listen without true understanding or commitment. From a historical and cultural perspective, Jewish society placed immense value on familial bonds and lineage. The announcement of His family's presence and Jesus' subsequent response would have been radical and startling, challenging the deeply ingrained social structures and expectations regarding kinship, elevating spiritual ties and the will of God above earthly relations. This implicitly served as a polemic against the notion that mere physical association or inherited identity (e.g., being a child of Abraham) automatically conferred a right relationship with God or a privileged position in the Kingdom.
Luke 8 20 Word analysis
- And (kai): A simple conjunction connecting this event to the preceding discourse, showing continuity in Jesus' public ministry and a new situation arising during it.
- it was told Him (apēngelē autō): The Greek verb "apanggellō" implies reporting or announcing. The passive voice ("it was told") emphasizes that this information was conveyed to Jesus, highlighting His receptive role. It suggests the message was brought by an intermediary, not a direct approach by His family themselves.
- by some (tinōn): An indefinite pronoun, indicating anonymous messengers. This detail maintains focus on the message's content and Jesus' response rather than on who delivered it.
- saying (legontes): "To say," indicating that the subsequent words are a direct quotation of the message received by Jesus.
- “Your mother” (hē mētēr sou): Refers to Mary, the earthly mother of Jesus. Her presence here along with His brothers emphasizes a familial unit seeking Him.
- and Your brothers (kai hoi adelphoi sou): The Greek "adelphoi" (brothers) most naturally denotes full siblings, meaning other children of Mary and Joseph (e.g., Jas 1:1, Gal 1:19, 1 Cor 9:5, cf. Mt 13:55-56). While "adelphoi" can sometimes mean broader kin, its conjunction with "mother" strongly supports the understanding of literal siblings born after Jesus. Their concern may have been multifaceted, potentially ranging from genuine worry for His well-being in light of intense public ministry, to perhaps misunderstanding His divine mission (Mk 3:21).
- are standing outside (hestēkasi exō): The present perfect active indicative "hestēkasi" implies they "have taken their stand and are still standing." This depicts their physical separation from Jesus and His audience, literally positioned outside the house or teaching space. It can subtly symbolize their initial spiritual distance from His immediate kingdom focus.
- desiring to see You (thelontes se idein): "Thelontes" (desiring/wishing) indicates their specific intention and purpose for being there. It's not a casual visit, but one with an underlying aim or need to interact directly with Jesus, setting up the immediate urgency conveyed to Him.
Luke 8 20 Bonus section
The seemingly simple act of Jesus' family arriving serves multiple purposes. It subtly introduces the concept of conflict between earthly expectations and divine calling, a theme repeated throughout Jesus' ministry (e.g., Lk 12:51-53). It also prefigures the ultimate allegiance required of all disciples, challenging them to count the cost and potentially reorient their primary relationships around the person and will of Christ. The emphasis is on active participation ("doing") rather than mere intellectual assent or passive reception ("hearing"), reinforcing a fundamental principle of true discipleship articulated in Luke's Gospel. While His brothers did not initially believe in Him (Jn 7:5), this event foreshadows their eventual conversion after the resurrection (Acts 1:14), becoming active participants in this very spiritual family.
Luke 8 20 Commentary
Luke 8:20 serves as a succinct trigger for one of Jesus' most radical teachings: the redefinition of family. His earthly family's physical presence at the perimeter of His ministry allows Jesus to dramatically declare that kinship in the Kingdom of God transcends bloodlines. His immediate priority is the Kingdom, and belonging to this spiritual family is conditional upon a transformative internal response – hearing the Word of God and doing it. This act of obedience and active faith creates a bond deeper than biological ties, establishing true intimacy with Christ and the Father. Jesus is not disrespecting His earthly family but prioritizing spiritual identity and allegiance above all, modeling for His followers that ultimate loyalty belongs to God's will. This challenges societal norms where lineage and family reputation were paramount, ushering in a new covenant based on spiritual regeneration and obedience rather than physical descent. Practically, this implies that our greatest connections should be with those united by faith and shared obedience to Christ, guiding our life choices and allegiances towards God's eternal purposes.