Lectionary 10 // Proper 5 B: Mark 3:20-35 -- exegetical notes
A new element within the narrative of Mark occurs in our text: Those who misunderstanding Jesus are no longer just the scribes and Pharisees, but his own family members. Is it possible to have known Jesus for 30 years and still misunderstand him?
Our text is composed of a story within a story. It begins and ends with Jesus’ biological family. In the middle is the accusation by the scribes of Jesus’ demonic powers.
One connection between these two stories is that both Jesus’ family and the scribes misunderstand Jesus. His family thinks that he is “out of his mind.” The scribes think that he is demon-possessed.
There may also be a connection with the Greek word κρατέω (
krateō) and the accusation of the scribes. The NRSV translated κρατέω (
krateō) with “restrain”. Literally, it means: “to exert power over”. (It is related to κράτος -
kratos which means “might, strength, power, dominion.”) It is frequently used in Mark to refer to arresting a person (6:17; 12:12; 14:1, 44, 46, 49). However, the occurrences of this verb immediately prior to our text (1:31) and immediately following (5:41) both refer to Jesus
taking a sick person by the hand and healing them. When Jesus “exerts power over” it results in healing – release from the illness. When his family seeks to “exert power over” Jesus, it results in restraining him.
Who (or what) has power over Jesus? His family seeks it, but they will not get it. The scribes assume that it is Beelzebul, but they are wrong.
How often do we seek to control Jesus rather than opening our lives to be controlled by Jesus?
SATAN DIVIDED (Mk 3:23-26; parallels Mt 12:25-26; Lk 11:17-18)
I find it paradoxical that to these groups who misunderstanding Jesus, he speaks in parables! As Mark 4 will indicate, parables do not necessarily help us to understand Jesus.
While Jesus’ parable about a kingdom or house being divided against itself is his answer to the accusation that he is Satan casting out Satan; I also wonder if it isn’t a parable directed towards the early church—or the church of every age. The same word “to divide” (μερίζω –
merizō) is used by Paul of factions in the church 1C 1:13.
An approach to this section of our text might be to explore what the opposite of a divided house/congregation might be? One that is united? One that is of one mind? One that shares the same purpose, goals, etc.?
THE STRONG ONE (Mk 3:27; parallels: Mt 12:29; Lk 11:21-22; Thomas 35:1-2)
I’m not sure what this parable means. Is the strong one (ἰσχυρός -
ischyros) Satan, whom Jesus will bind so that he can “plunder” those who are under Satan’s power?
The verbal form of “strong” (ἰσχύω –
ischyō) is used of the demon-possessed man whom no one
had the strength to subdue (5:4c), until Jesus casts the demons into the swine.
Jesus’ disciples were
not strong enough (ἰσχύω –
ischyō) to cast out a demon in 9:18; nor was Peter strong enough to stay awake and pray with Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane (14:37)
Is the strong one Jesus, whom the scribes and Pharisees seek to bind by the cross so that they might “plunder” those who have fallen under Jesus’ power?
The only other time that “strong” (ἰσχυρός -
ischyros) is used in Mark, it refers to Jesus—the “more powerful” one who is coming after John the Baptist (1:7). He has the strength to cast out the demonic and to continue praying where others did not have the strength (5:4; 9:18; 14:37).
The chief priests, elders, scribes, and the whole council
bind Jesus in 15:1 before handing him over to Pilate.
Do we consider ourselves strong or weak? The other use of this verb in Mark is in this saying of Jesus: “Those who
are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick; I have come to call not the righteous but sinners” (2:17).
Perhaps an approach to this saying is to indicate that whenever we think that we are strong, a stronger one is likely to come and make life miserable. When we think that we are weak, then we are likely to turn our lives over to the truly Stronger One. Paul boasted of his weakness (2 Cor 11:30).
THE FORGIVABLE SINS (Mk 3:28-29; parallels Mt 12:31-32; Lk 12:10; Thomas 44:1-3)
In this saying, I think that v. 28 is often overshadowed by v. 29. We concentrate on trying to figure out exactly what the unforgivable sin might be; rather than rejoicing in the forgiveness that covers all the other sins—including blasphemy against Jesus, which by-passers did to Jesus while he was on the cross (15:29). Jesus indicates that even they can be forgiven.
However, I will look briefly at what the unforgivable sin might be. It is defined in v. 29 as blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. This may be further defined in v. 30 where it says, “Because they were saying (imperfect) that he is having (present) an unclean spirit.”
First of all, the actions in v. 30 are not a one-time thing. The imperfect implies a continued action in the past. “They kept on saying that ....” rather than “They said once that ....” The unforgivable sin is a continual or repeated act or attitude.
Secondly, if what is being said is that Jesus acts under the power of unclean spirits or of Beelzebul or of Satan; then one would not turn to Jesus to seek divine forgiveness through the power of the Holy Spirit. By extension we can conclude that what they were saying is that Jesus does not have the power to forgive sins. The unforgivable sin may be denying that Jesus is able to forgive sins through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Thirdly, in Mark, “blasphemy” is twice leveled at Jesus when he equates himself with God. When Jesus indicates that he can forgive sins, he is accused of
blasphemy by the scribes in 2:7, because, they say that only God can forgive sins. During his trial, when Jesus agrees with the accusation that he is “the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One.” He is accused of blasphemy by the high priest (14:61-64). The unforgivable sin may be setting ourselves up as gods who then judge the true God as not being God. Whenever we place ourselves in the role of god, we will fail.
When I once asked a psychiatrist why his and clergy professions often have a high number of suicides, he answered that they too often start playing god, and they fail.
What might it mean to “play god”? One answer is to think that we are always right. This leads back to the second comment above – if we are always right, we don’t need God and we don’t need forgiveness – and God promises not to forgive those who don’t think that they need it.
Williamson in
Mark of the Interpretation Commentaries writes:
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The question of an unpardonable sin is treated variously in the New Testament (see 1 John 5:16; Heb 6:4-6; 10:26). Here the point is that the spirit at work in Jesus Christ, by which he casts out demons, is the Holy Spirit of God. To confuse that Holy Spirit with an unclean or demonic spirit, reversing good and evil and attributing the saving acts of God to the destructive power of Satan, is to place oneself outside the realm of God’s forgiveness.
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The [unpardonable] sin is to recognize a supernatural power at work in Jesus and yet to call that power unclean or evil. The sin is unforgivable because it rejects the very agent of God’s healing and forgiveness (see 2:17 and 10:45). The imperfect tense of the verb in verse 30 is significant: “... because they were saying, ‘He has an unclean spirit.’” This indication of repeated or habitual action, unfortunately obscured in the RSV, suggests a fixed position, a firm decision, and not simply skepticism. The doubt of honest inquirers is always honored in Mark. What places one in mortal danger is considered, deliberate rejection of the God at work in and through Jesus. The text continues to function as a warning to all readers of the seriousness of our response to the One who confronts us here.
Those readers who not only define the unpardonable sin, but believe that they have committed it, should observe, first, that the very fact of their concern means they are not guilty of the deliberate, obstinate rejection of God’s Holy Spirit which alone is unforgivable. Only those who set themselves against forgiveness are excluded from it. But, secondly, preoccupation with the warming (v. 29) must not be allowed to obscure the good news (v. 28): “Truly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the sons of men, and whatever blasphemies they utter.” The whole word of Jesus is not light or easy, but there is gospel in it. [pp 84-86] |
Schweizer says much the same thing in
The Good News According to Mark:
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What then is the meaning of vs. 29? According to vs. 30 this saying is directed against men who have been fully convinced by Jesus’ mighty miracles that supernatural powers are at work, yet who do not leave the question open as to the kind of powers these are but declare unequivocally that they are diabolical and in so doing absolve themselves from the necessity of believing. These persons, therefore, are not skeptics or inquirers; the latter are blessed 4:41) in contrast to those who know all the answers (cf. 8:29). The church which formed this saying is thinking of men whose doubt has been conquered by the power of the Spirit of God, but who through their blasphemy still misrepresent faith in God as faith in the devil. This saying is an extremely serious warming against that most demonic and scarcely conceivable potential in man: To declare war on God. This is not done in weakness and doubt, but by one who has been overcome by the Holy Spirit and who knows very well on whom he is declaring war. For that very reason, those whose consciences are troubled for fear that they may have committed this sin are not the ones to whom this saying applies. It is meant for that antichrist who is hard as steel, who does not desire God’s grace, and who makes himself god. Nor is it possible to say that this word of judgment is meant for some other person without making ourselves God. Jesus himself, according to Mark, does not even assert that the teachers of the law had committed this sin; but he warns them because they have accused him [pp. 86-87]. |
JESUS TRUE FAMILY (Mk 3:31-35; parallels Mt 12:46-50; Lk 8:19-21; Thomas 99:1-3)
We return to where the text began—with Jesus’ family.
First of all, they are pictured as “outsiders” (vv. 31 & 32). The same word is used in 5:11 when Jesus says: “To you has been given the secret of the kingdom of God, but for those
outside, everything comes in parables.”
Jesus’ biological family in this scene could be a characterization of some of those who are “outsiders”. They know Jesus. They even seek Jesus. But they misunderstand Jesus. He is not the One from God, but one who is “out of his mind.” They may have agreed with the scribes that he was demon-possessed. Essentially, they are seeking someone who is in their own imagination – not the Jesus of reality.
In the introduction to
The Five Gospels it says that the Jesus Seminar adopted as a general rule: “Beware of finding a Jesus entirely congenial to you.” [p 5] If the Jesus we seek in scriptures affirms everything we already believe, perhaps we have only found the Jesus of our imagination rather than the real Jesus. Jesus challenges the people’s perceptions about him and about God and about others; and if Jesus Christ is the same today as he was back then (Hebrews 13:8) we should expect to be challenged and even have some of our assumption destroyed by the real Jesus who encounters us through scriptures.
This section may also indicate what literally happened to early converts. They were no longer considered part of their biological families and the church became their new support group.
In the book,
A New Day for Family Ministry, by Richard Olson & John Leonard, Jr (The Alban Institute), the authors offer this definition of family:
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We understand the concept of family to mean any network of two or more people linked over time emotionally and usually biologically and legally, sharing such things as home, spiritual and material resources, interpersonal care giving, memory, common agenda, and aspirations. |
Their definition, based on systems thinking, “rests on the assumption that emotional linkages are at least as powerful as biological and legal ones.” In fact, they state:
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What counts in our view are the visible interactions of a family system. Where those emotional and physical connections are present, family is present. Legal and biological linkages, though very important, are nevertheless secondary to the emotional and behavioral. |
This definition gives me some better “handles” on thinking of a congregation as a family. I think that it is similar to the way that Jesus redefines “family” in our text. It is not based on biology or laws; but on the emotional and behavioral connections among those who “do the will of God.”
“Whoever would do the will of God,
that one is my brother and sister and mother.”
This sentence follows the classical Greek structure for a present general condition, which means that it states some general fact—one which is always true—in present time. “If you do God’s will, you are part of Jesus’ family.” Such people are bound together by a common purpose (or behavior?).
This sentence also presents a couple of questions for the translator and interpreter.
How should one translate ποιέω (
poieō)? Among the many possible definitions of this word, the following might be used in the sentence:
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do, bring about, cause to be, accomplish, bear (like of fruit), practice, act |
What is this “God’s will” we are to “do” or “bring about” or “practice,” etc.?
This is the only place in the gospel of Mark that the phrase “will of God” is used. (This is the only occurrence of θέλημα -
thelēma in Mark.) Exegetically, it may be impossible to discover what Mark means by “will of God.” He hasn’t given us enough clues—however, we can make guesses.
One guess from our text is that we are not to be divided, but united – like a “family” who is connected with each other emotionally, behaviorally, and spatially (that is being physically present with each other on a regular basis).
However, the discussion can continue: What is the will of God and how do we “do” it? Or, perhaps it’s better to ask, “What is God doing here and how do we participate in it?”
Brian Stoffregen
Faith Lutheran Church, 2215 S 8th Avenue, Yuma, AZ 85364
e-mail:
brian.stoffregen@gmail.com
