And he stretched forth his hand towards his
disciples
By whom are meant, not only the twelve, but all others present,
who truly believed in him, both men and women; and who might sit
near him and together, and whom, by this motion of his hand, he
pointed out as his spiritual relations, to the multitude that sat
round him:
and said, behold my mother, and my brethren;
in whose hearts he was formed, and who were the children of God
by adopting grace, and so his brethren; and were as dear to him
as his mother and brethren. It is reasonable to suppose, that
when he said, "behold my mother", and, as in the following verse,
"sister"; he might stretch forth his hand particularly, toward
the pious and religious women that believed in him, and
ministered to him of their substance, who might be now present;
such as Mary Magdalene, Joanna the wife of Chuza, Herod's
steward, and Susanna, and others; since these are mentioned by
Luke in the same chapter in which this passage stands in his
Gospel; and when he said "behold my brethren", he might point
directly to the twelve, and the rest of the men that believed in
him, and followed him.
