The context for much of what Jesus said about the family was his vision of the coming crisis of God’s reign which would turn ordinary life on its head.

He perceived the coming of the kingdom to be a revolutionary event; the family could no longer provide true security nor absolute trust. The advent of the kingdom of God required a change in one’s basic orientation.

One must be prepared to abandon the security that a family provides, the duties that a family might expect, and the affection that a family offers for what one considers to be a greater good.