Incidentally, He shows us what we may do with our interruptions. We are so prone to let them worry us, to think that they spoil our work, to say: But for these endless interruptions, I could do so much more! What did our Lord do with His interruption, which was a very real one, and far more disturbing than are many of ours of which we complain so readily? He turned it into good use, so that His work was the gainer by it and not the loser. If we cannot always follow His example literally by making the interruption a _direct_ help to our work, we can always make it help _indirectly_ by taking it as a message from GOD, Who would give His Apostle an opportunity of practising patience, self-control, and self-repression. Our work will gain more by these divinely planned interruptions than by the smooth, easy, methods which we had planned for ourselves. _Point III._--A LESSON ON RELATIONSHIPS To the interrupter He said: "Who is My mother? and who are My brethren?" And, looking round on them who sat about Him, He saith: "Behold My mother and My brethren! For My mother and My brethren are they who hear the word of GOD and do it." It is the same lesson that He gave to the woman, who probably was one of the very crowd He was now addressing, and who could not refrain from proclaiming before everyone the _blessedness_ of His Mother. To her He said: "Yea, rather, blessed are they who hear the word of GOD and keep it." (St Luke xi. 27, 28.) The lesson, then, is that He holds as His nearest and dearest those who do His Father's Will. His Mother was, it is true, dearer to Him than all besides, was, it is true, blessed above all women; but only because she did His Father's Will more perfectly than any other. Who is My mother? Any of these in the crowd have as much right to Me as she has, if they do My Father's Will as she does it. This is the lesson that Mary is giving Him the opportunity of teaching. Would I be dear to Him as His Mother was; would I have that close union of heart; would I see things from His point of view; would I be willing to be put in the background and kept standing there if it furthers the "Father's business"; would I be ready to suffer anything for the spread of His Kingdom? There is only one way--do as she did. "Whosoever shall do the will of My Father that is in Heaven, the same is My mother." _Colloquy_ with Mary standing in the background. Thou whose unique privilege it is to be the Mother of GOD, teach me to do His will in such a way that I may share in some degree thy _spiritual_ maternity. This was thine by _detachment_--even from the visible presence of JESUS, by a perfect _performance of the will of GOD_, and by _suffering_. By thy ceaseless intercession help me to struggle ceaselessly till I know something of these three things. _Resolution._ To prove my close relationship with JESUS and Mary to-day by the way I do GOD'S will.