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Constantly struggling? In a rebellious mood? Don’t let others tell you what to do. Let God take charge. Mark 3:20–35 ‘Then Jesus entered a house, and again a crowd gathered, so that he and his disciples were not even able to eat.’

Mark 3:20–35

Jesus Accused by His Family and by Teachers of the Law  20 Then Jesus entered a house, and again a crowd gathered, so that he and his disciples were not even able to eat. 21 When his family heard about this, they went to take charge of him, for they said, "He is out of his mind."     22 And the teachers of the law who came down from Jerusalem said, "He is possessed by Beelzebul! By the prince of demons he is driving out demons."     23 So Jesus called them over to him and began to speak to them in parables: "How can Satan drive out Satan? 24 If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. 25 If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand. 26 And if Satan opposes himself and is divided, he cannot stand; his end has come. 27 In fact, no one can enter a strong man's house without first tying him up. Then he can plunder the strong man's house. 28 Truly I tell you, people will be forgiven all their sins and all the blasphemies they utter. 29 But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven, but is guilty of an eternal sin."     30 He said this because they were saying, "He has an evil spirit."     31 Then Jesus' mother and brothers arrived. Standing outside, they sent someone in to call him. 32 A crowd was sitting around him, and they told him, "Your mother and brothers are outside looking for you."     33 "Who are my mother and my brothers?" he asked.     34 Then he looked at those seated in a circle around him and said, "Here are my mother and my brothers! 35 Whoever does God's will is my brother and sister and mother."

Main point: Coping with criticism

Personal criticism It is one thing to be criticised by people who we know we disagree with. It is quite another matter when the criticism is personal, and comes from those who we look to for love and support. Jesus experienced both. How must it have felt for him when his family arrived, claiming that he was ‘out of his mind’ (v 21)? I suspect that a good many tears were shed that day. Personal pain Let’s not gloss over the deep personal pain that Jesus must have felt. Not only were the leading rabbis denouncing his teaching as satanic, but his own mother and brothers were attacking him too. Is it any wonder that he looked at the people who had made sacrifices to learn from him (v 20) and declared, ‘Here are my mother and my brothers’? Positive response Criticism is painful, whether or not it is justified, and Jesus received a generous serving of it. In both these cases his response is clear, balanced and positive. He did not hit back, or get defensive, or run and hide. He calmly pointed out the error of his public accusers (vs 24–26). He did not disown his family. He simply acknowledged the love of those who were willing to trust him. Robert Harrison

Deeper study: Divine sanity

The crowd Consider the crowd that pressed upon Jesus the minute he came home. Who were they, and what was their motivation? We know that many were driven to him by their own needs: the poor and the sick, the confused and the searching (Mark 1:32–34; 6:34; Matthew 4:23–25). Others were probably just sightseers, attracted by the healings, exorcisms, and controversy. Intense conflict Then there was the sinister presence of the scribes, religious officials sent from Jerusalem, part of the conspiracy to destroy Jesus (Mark 3:6). The tension and conflict that would end with Jesus’ crucifixion was already palpable. Jesus’ own family were so disturbed by his radical attack on the religious/political hierarchy that they worried about his sanity (v 21). The intensity and significance of Jesus’ conflict with the Jewish authorities explains the apparent callousness of Jesus’ response to the anxiety of his mother and siblings. There can be no question that Jesus loved them deeply. Even when in agony on the cross, one of his last acts was to ensure that his mother would be cared for (John 19:26,27). A new community What was at stake here was something of absolute importance – the careful and deliberate establishment of a new community of faith, a relational community centred on Jesus and obedient to him. How wonderful that we are part of this global, forgiven, relational community of Jesus’ companions, in all its wonderful diversity and richness. The unforgiveable sin The vehemence of the scribes’ rejection of Jesus forced them into the venomous, though clearly ridiculous, assertion that Jesus was a tool of Satan, thus committing the unforgiveable sin: ‘To identify the work of God as the work of the devil is to blaspheme against the Holy Spirit; it is the ultimate blindness, the point from which there is no turning back.’1 What a tragedy when a person develops such resistance to God’s overtures as to become immune to them, and moves beyond the reach of the Holy Spirit. Steve Bradbury  1 RJ Kernaghan, Mark, IVP, 2007, p83

Background: Family matters

Opposition Mary and Joseph feature in the birth stories of Matthew and Luke, but we hear no more about Joseph. The normal assumption is that he was older than Mary and died before Jesus reached adulthood. Jesus’ brothers are named in Mark 6:3 as James, Joseph, Judas and Simon. Sisters are also mentioned. They are known in Capernaum where Jesus has made his home (Matthew 4:13). At this stage they are opposed to Jesus (Mark 6:4; John 7:75) and try to stop his ministry (Mark 3:20,21). At the cross Jesus entrusted Mary to the care of John which suggests that his brothers may still not have been supportive, but in Acts 1:14 they are among those praying with the eleven. Given Mary’s faith and obedience at the time of Jesus’ birth and her thoughtful reception of all that was said it is unlikely that she shared the unbelief of his brothers. Conversion In Galatians 1:19 Paul describes James, Jesus’ brother, as an apostle (see Acts 15:13). Perhaps he came to believe after the risen Jesus appeared to him (1 Corinthians 15:7). He is almost certainly the author of the letter of James. It is also highly likely that Jude was written by Jesus’ brother Judas. Outstanding questions The natural assumption is that Jesus’ brothers and sisters were the later children of Joseph and Mary. From fairly early times, however, some argued that Mary remained a virgin all her life and this has been the official teaching of some churches. Jesus’ siblings are then seen either as step-siblings (children of Joseph by a previous marriage) or cousins (on the grounds that ancient language was less precise). In the absence of a clear statement in the New Testament this view must remain open to question. John Grayston

Bible in a year

Read the Bible in a year. Today's readings are: Isaiah 10–12 2 Timothy 3