Gospel: Mark 12: 35-38
Ancestry and lineage were important for ancient people. By it people could connect themselves to great people of the past, connect themselves to a tradition that was ancient and stood the test of time. It also gave a person a sense of importance and gravitas for themselves before others. But as we have seen, people with noble ancestries are often themselves not very noble people. Sometimes a tradition needs to change because what it practiced and justified is just plain wrong.
What makes for greatness is not an ancestry and lineage but rather the way in which we live our life. To be a person who is loving and compassionate, one who extends mercy and care to others - this is the great person. To do such deeds does not require a notable family tree. It requires virtue that we ourselves cultivate by our actions and habits, by accepting the grace God extends to us in living such a life.
To live a life of loving service and mercy to others is the only authentic way of showing lineage to the Lord Jesus - not through some family tree or succession line. To live as the Lord Jesus lived is our way of being in relation to him, to be his mother, sister, brother. It is the only way of being an authentic disciple and follower of the Lord Jesus.
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