Mark 3:20-35 "Here Are My Mother & My Brothers" June 10, 2018

In Scripture, we often find troubling or difficult verses, the verses that are found in the Lectionary Gospel selection for this past Sunday would seem to have more than it's fair share of difficult verses.  First off, Jesus' family comes to restrain him as they believe he has 'gone out of his mind'.  Next, the Scribes accuse Jesus of being in league with 'Beelzebul' which was a Syrian god that had been derived from the Canaanite god Baal.  Neither of these cast Jesus in a particularly good light.  Jesus responds specifically to the Scribe's charge of being in cohorts with Satan by talking of tieing up a strong man and plundering his home... did Jesus just say that he'd rob someone?  To me at least this is another troubling statement...  Then we have the talk about not being forgiven for particular sins... whatever happened to grace and forgiveness?  Finally, we're back to addressing Jesus' family (completing another of Mark's famous 'sandwiches' or more technically a chiasmus or chiasm) here Jesus seems uninterested in who His blood relatives are and more concerned with who is doing the will of God... for those doing the will of God are Christ's true relatives.

We need to remember that to those whom the author of Mark is writing, the reality of being abandoned by family for their new found beliefs was very, very real.  Those that were originally Jewish would have been turned against by their Jewish relatives now that Christianity was no longer just another Jewish sect, and those that were gentiles would very likely have been turned upon for leaving their Pagan beliefs and embracing Christ.  I really don't believe we today can truly empathize with these people and just how deserted they would have felt.  Perhaps the only true comparison in our world today would be for those that leave Islam for Christianity or another faith (or become atheist).  They too would feel this abandonment of their family... it's a horrible thought and fate.  But, this was the degree of those early believers faith (and those that convert from Islam today) and it is a degree of commitment that honestly should humble those of us who simply don't face that kind of reprisals.

Please take a few minutes and listen to the sermon.  I pray that perhaps something shared will speak to you today if so, I am deeply humbled and thankful to be of some assistance.

Be a blessing to someone today!

In His Glory,
Roy

Mark 3:20-35 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)
20 and the crowd came together again, so that they could not even eat. 21 When his family heard it, they went out to restrain him, for people were saying, “He has gone out of his mind.” 22 And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem said, “He has Beelzebul, and by the ruler of the demons he casts out demons.” 23 And he called them to him, and spoke to them in parables, “How can Satan cast out Satan? 24 If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. 25 And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. 26 And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand, but his end has come. 27 But no one can enter a strong man’s house and plunder his property without first tying up the strong man; then indeed the house can be plundered.

28 “Truly I tell you, people will be forgiven for their sins and whatever blasphemies they utter; 29 but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit can never have forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin”— 30 for they had said, “He has an unclean spirit.”

The True Kindred of Jesus
31 Then his mother and his brothers came; and standing outside, they sent to him and called him. 32 A crowd was sitting around him; and they said to him, “Your mother and your brothers and sisters[a] are outside, asking for you.” 33 And he replied, “Who are my mother and my brothers?” 34 And looking at those who sat around him, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! 35 Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.”

Footnotes:

a) Mark 3:32 Other ancient authorities lack and sisters