Apparently Luke moved this teaching from Jesus' earlier controversy with the Pharisees over His authority to provide a conclusion for this section of teaching (cf. Matt. 12:22-50; Mark 3:19-35). It continues the theme of the importance of obedience that has been dominant in the preceding context.
Jesus was not dishonoring His human family members but honoring those who obey God. Some people feel close to God when they read the Bible, pray, hear a certain type of music, contemplate nature, or sit in a great cathedral. However, Jesus taught that the way to get close to God is to listen to and obey God's Word (cf. 6:46-49; James 1:22-23). Obedience brings the believer into intimate relationship with Jesus. This saying would have helped Luke's original readers understand that Jewish blood did not bring believers into closer relationship to Jesus than Gentile blood did. Probably Luke omitted "and sister"(v. 21), which Matthew and Mark included, simply for brevity. His account of the incident is the most concise of the Synoptics.
