Estimated reading time: 4 minutes.

In many cultures and religions, the term brother, in addition to designating those who have the same parents by “blood relationship”, is equivalent to a friend or companion, within the “kinship of choice”. Fraternity is the brotherhood between people united through a community of affection, purpose or ideals.

Brother meant in the Judaism of the time of Jesus who professed the same Jewish religion. The proselyte and the one who was part of the same rabbinical group were also called brother. On the contrary, the neighbor was everyone who lived in Israel, without being an Israelite. For Jesus, the brothers are his disciples, those who do the will of the Father and the poor and needy.

The new Christian fraternity evidently emerges from the fatherhood of God, communicated by Christ in the Spirit. Christians are all brothers in the faith, because Jesus has become our brother. In summary, the relationships of Christians, from the most remote antiquity, are relationships of brothers by virtue of a spiritual brotherhood, which surpasses the natural brotherhood: “One is your teacher, and you are all brothers” (Mt 23, 8) .

Casiano Floristán, in Abbreviated Dictionary of Pastoral, Divine Word, Spain, 1999.

Jacob: son of Isaac – God blesses Jacob
Read Ch. 32.1-6; 33.1-11.
Jacob and Esau were brothers, but they had a fight. Jacob had deceived Esau and his own father, posing as Esau in front of his old and blind father, so he could receive Isaac’s patriarchal blessing.

Esau promised to kill his brother, and that is why Jacob must escape. After many years Jacob wants to return to his land but he is afraid that his brother still wants to kill him.

On the way Jacob has an encounter with an angel of God, who blesses him, and so he is encouraged to continue on the road and meet his brother. In this meeting he finally wins love and forgiveness and thus both feel God’s blessing.
God is always close to us to give us his blessing.

Sincerely, Pastor Abel Naranjo.