Unity and Community

The gospel reading today from Mark is another passage where a lot is going on.  We start with a large crowd, big enough so they didn't have enough to eat.  Sound Familiar.  Because he "went home", his family gets wind of this and comes to "restrain" him.  We read: "people were saying, "He has gone out of his mind."  People, not his family.  Then we jump again this time to the scribes who came down from Jerusalem accusing Jesus of being Satan.  SO early in his ministry in Galilee before he starts on his journey to Jerusalem, Jesus is drawing big crowds and raising the concerns of the established order.  Jesus responds to the scribes with a parable about entering a strong man's house and trying to plunder it.  Finally, we have the dramatic closing portion of the reading where Jesus refuses to let in his mother and brothers and declares his family is actually the gathered disciples.  These rapid fired plot changes are confusing to me. So I went to my favorite theologian, Marcus Borg to get help making sense of this reading. In "Jesus: Uncovering the Life, Teachings and Relevance of a Religious Revolutionary", Marcus Borg tells us this passage "illustrates a common literary technique used by Mark, called a 'sandwich' technique in which a story begins, is interrupted by another one, and then returns to the original story.  When Mark does this, he is indicating the two stories are to be interpreted in light of each other.  In this case to see Jesus as insane or possessed is to fail to see the Spirit of God at work in him."   

 

Well let's look at this reading with this advice from Mr. Borg. In this passage we see Jesus already facing opposition and criticism from the scribes, who accuse him of being possessed by a demon and performing miracles by the power of Satan. Jesus responds to their accusations with a parable about the kingdom of God and the importance of unity.  He says: "If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand."

    

Now his mother and brothers are there to get him to quiet down.  Maybe, they can see that his social activism is dangerous, and they are trying to do what any concerned family would do "Protect their son and brother".     

 

This concern on their part is understandable given the stronger comments Jesus makes later when he says: "But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit can never have forgiveness but is guilty of an eternal sin." Jesus tells the scribes that a kingdom divided against itself cannot stand, and that Satan cannot cast out Satan.  Which seems to be telling us we must stand together as Christians and work together to oust Satan.

  

Now let's look at the interrupted story of Jesus' family trying to protect him from the established authority and maybe trying keep their son and brother alive. When Jesus is told that his mother and brothers are outside looking for him, he responds saying, "however does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother."  He is stressing the importance of spiritual family and community in the kingdom of God.  Remember this story happens very early in Jesus' ministry in Galilee.  He has not even started his journey to Jerusalem.  During communion we often imply that Jesus knew the fate that awaited him when he shared the elements.  Could Jesus have been aware of his fate all the way back here and is preparing the disciples for their struggle in spreading the Good News.  Maybe I am stretching but we can definitely see that he is telling us our relationship with fellow believers is not based on blood ties, but on our spiritual commitment to following Jesus and doing the will of God.

 

Lastly, we again see Jesus staying true to his ministry.  Despite the accusations and opposition he faces, Jesus remains steadfast in his mission and continues to perform miracles and heal the sick.  He shows his willingness to speak out against the established authority even in the face of criticism from his family.

    

In conclusion Mark 3:20-35 reminds us of the importance of unity and community in the kingdom of God and the power and authority of Jesus as the Son of God.  Let us remember Jesus' lessons, knowing that we are not alone in our struggles and that Jesus is with us every step of the way.