When mortal man delves into material annals for his family tree, he finds organic selfhood starting from various sources. In the first fictitious account of mortal existence, as given in Genesis, mortal man is evolved from dust. Then a rib is said to be the origin of mortal woman. Later in human history an egg is credited as the beginning of material life. But Solomon said (Eccl. 7:29), "Lo, this only have I found, that God hath made man upright; but they have sought out many inventions."
The branches of a mortal's ancestral tree symbolize the vast plurality of mortal mothers and fathers, whose names make up his chronological data. In mortal history, fear, disappointment, self-pity, and disease are often found, as well as the fatuous belief in heredity. These negative qualities and conditions shackle mortals to a material creator and imprison them in a material creation. The acceptance of the belief that matter in any form has a past, present, or future gives rise to the belief in a selfhood apart from God and leads one unwittingly to exchange his spiritual birthright for a mess of pottage.
Jesus, the Way-shower, accepted no fleshly ties. He never compromised with matter. His followers were perhaps startled by his question (Matt. 12:48), "Who is my mother? and who are my brethren?" Certainly Jesus was not seeking the approval of human opinion, for, pointing to his disciples, he thus answered his own query: "Whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother." Jesus' spiritual perception of man's true nature enabled him to demonstrate his birthright as the Son of God, and he taught his followers to claim their true selfhood, their divine sonship, by acquainting themselves with God, man's Life, and the Father of all.
