Mark, Day Six

Mark 3:20-35

• In these verses, we see that the people who should be most supportive of Jesus turn out to be the people who are most critical.  Here's the basic breakdown:
• Jesus's family thinks he's crazy and decides to go get him.
• The scribes from Jerusalem (religious leaders who have traveled to see him) think he's Satan.  Jesus responds that they're crazy.
• His family shows up.  Jesus responds by saying that it's the crowd of people surrounding him who are his true family.
• How sad that Jesus' own family think he "has lost his senses" (v. 21, NASB).  Even his mother.  I can see how it would have been difficult to be Jesus' brother.  Can you imagine having a big brother who causes so much controversy wherever he goes?  And hogs the spotlight.  And doesn't help out at the carpentry shop anymore.  It would be pretty confusing.  But even Mary goes along with them.  Mary, who talked to an angel about Jesus.  But then, no one could have been truly prepared to have a son who defies expectations in so many ways.  I'll try to think of Mary when I'm confused by my own kids!
• It's less surprising that the scribes are anti-Jesus.  The Pharisees are already plotting against him, after all.  But to say he's possessed by the devil - that's pretty extreme.  And silly, as Jesus points out.  If the devil were in him, he wouldn't be getting rid of the devil's minions. 
• Then Jesus makes that strange statement that the only unforgiveable sin is blaspheming against the Holy Spirit.  Whatever that means.  After all, there was no doctrine of the Trinity at this time.  But he's protesting that they are calling him (who is Godly and Good) evil.  So they're completely blind to who God is.  To the kind of person God wants us to be.  And they're religious leaders.  They're the ones who should recognize God.  I'm thinking Jesus is harsher toward them than toward people who admit to being confused.
• And when his family shows up to take him home, it seems a bit harsh that he refuses to see them.  But they are only there because they think he's crazy.  It's no wonder the crowd is more family to him that his own family.  What a hard path that is to take (and stick with) - to be so very different, to choose the unexpected and difficult road, to act with love even when mostly it just gets you in trouble.  Can you imagine the online comments Jesus would get if he were preaching today?!?