Brothers and Sisters

by Wayne Blank

A little over a year ago, a cat that I inherited two years before that, when she was little more than a kitten ("Lucky" is shown in the upper photo which was taken when she was about 8 weeks old) herself became the mother of 3 kittens (they are shown in the lower photo as they were at about age 3 months; their names are, from left to right, Miriam, Rocky and Luther). As with most everywhere else, offers of "free kittens" are usually not very successful, so I ended up keeping all of them. The kittens are fully grown now and all developed the same coloring and markings as their mother (the difference in the photos is due to lighting conditions, not to actual coat color; the mother is the same blonde as the kittens). The two males are now much bigger than their mother, but the female is very nearly, in size, appearance and behavior, a twin of her mother. At distances greater than 20 feet, even I can't immediately distinguish the 3 year old mother from the 1 year old daughter.

It's not just a matter of appearance. The mother herself now treats her daughter more like a sister than a child (they romp and play together), while the adult daughter no longer looks to her mother to nurture her life. They now simply act like 2 cats who both equally look to a "greater power," a human, to sustain their lives. I have, in effect, become the "parent" to all of them. I was humorously surprised to see that when I take them for their annual shots (rabies vaccinations are legally required in Ontario), they are each recorded on the veterinarian's computer with their first name but my family name.

"Our Father Who Art In Heaven"

Cats There is of course a vast difference between humans and animals. Humans aren't just animals (although "dumb animals" sometimes seem to have more natural wisdom than some humans i.e. animals most often look after themselves as best that circumstances permit, while humans often desire very self-destructive lifestyles). Animals don't have the Fifth Commandment, "Honour thy father and thy mother," nor are humans to act like animals by regarding their parents as equals. That would violate the intent of "Honour thy father and thy mother."

But will there come a time when human parents and children, as they once existed as mortal humans, be then more like brothers and sisters, spiritual brothers and sisters? Is there coming a time when human parents and children will be born again (for what that actually means, according to the Word of God, and when it will actually happen, according to the Word of God, see the Fact Finder question below), together in the same "generation," with the same Father? Will people who are now parents and children some day be the same spiritual age? What does the Holy Bible actually say about it?

Jesus Christ never sinned, which means that He never violated any of the Ten Commandments (see The Decalogue), including the Fifth Commandment, "Honour thy father and thy mother." But the always respectful and obedient firstborn son of Joseph and Mary also said something that referred to the ultimate meaning and purpose of parent:

"call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven." (Matthew 23:9 KJV)

Over and over and over again Jesus Christ taught people to look to "our Father" in heaven. It's primarily for that reason that Christians, as a whole, regardless of relation or age difference, called themselves "brothers and sisters" and why Jesus Christ himself is our firstborn brother.

"That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven" (Matthew 5:45 KJV)
"For whom He did foreknow, He also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren." (Romans 8:29 KJV)

The Biblical term "children of God" isn't just an analogy. It's a future reality that all men ("men" as a species, men and womb-men) can attain:

"Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew Him not. Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is." (1 John 3:1-2 KJV)
"For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus." (Galatians 3:26-28 KJV)

Fact Finder: When will humans be truly "born again" as brothers and sisters of the Christ?
See "That which is born of the Spirit is spirit"

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