I have always believed and experienced that Christmas is a time for families. Last year, my parents celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary, and at Christmastime my two sisters and I joined my brother to be with them for some great family time. Since we live in Minnesota, my parents and brother live in Tennessee, and my sisters live in Wisconsin and Illinois, it's not always easy to get everyone together at holiday time. We enjoy making the trip south whenever we can, but we also love to spend Christmas with my husband's family--his parents and brothers and their families--right here in the Twin Cities.

Not all families have happy gatherings at this time of year. Some still gather, but time together may be marred by misunderstandings, drunkenness, and disappointment.

Jesus had a mother and brothers and sisters. At the time that Mark writes about, Joseph, his earthly father, is not mentioned, so most scholars assume that he had died. Jesus' physical family was worried about him and wanted to bring him home to safety. They didn't really understand at the time what his ministry was and needed to be.

Jesus looked around him as his family was announced, and said that those who believed in him and followed his teachings were his real family.

There are those who don't have good relationships with their family, but they can have fellowship with other followers of Christ. We aren't all perfect, but with God as our Father, we can work to become loving brothers and sisters.