W hile [Jesus] was still speaking to the crowds, his mother and his brothers were standing outside, wanting to speak to him. Someone told him, “Look, your mother and your brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to you.” But to the one who had told him this, Jesus replied, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” And pointing to his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.” (Matthew 12:46-50)

This same story also appears in the Gospels of Mark and Luke, and in none of the three versions are we told why the mother and brothers of Jesus were looking for him. Maybe they had some family business to discuss with him. Maybe they were just lonesome for him, since he was spending so much time on the road. Or, maybe they were trying to re-connect. Maybe they hoped that by just getting together, sitting down to eat together, they could remind each other that they somehow formed a family.