If you don’t like conflict, stay away from this story. If you don’t like family conflict, get out of here now. If you don’t want to hear about religious/political division, run and don’t look back. But know this much: Jesus walked right into the middle of it all.

Family Concerns

They had been watching and hearing about what this #1Son and Brother had been doing. His fame was so far reaching that people were coming from all over to see him. Most of it was due to the healing miracles he had done, like the man with the deformed hand. The problem was Jesus wasn’t playing by the rule book. He’d healed this guy on a Sabbath day, that day when you were supposed to do nearly nothing, like even limit the number of steps you took. The religious leaders known as Pharisees didn’t like it at all, and there was a public tussle about it. (Forget it was a miracle, for crying out loud). All of this reflected back on the family and wouldn’t go well for them and their relationship with the synagogue. But worse yet, so many people had thronged around him, it was to the point he had to preach from a boat. Now, they wouldn’t give him or his disciples time to eat. For his own good, Mom and her other kids showed up to drag him back home. You can just about hear him say, “Holy Sh….uuuger.” (To be clear, that’s not in the Bible.)

As it was, they weren’t very nice about it. “He’s out of his mind,” they accused. Yeah, that’s right. Insane, delusional maybe, psychotic sort of. That’s a heavy one to lay on a person, let alone your own kin. Family issues are never easy, and Jesus was dealing with a big one. (Mark 3:1-21)

Religious Pressure

Call it perfect timing, but divine intervention it was not. Just then, the big guns from Jerusalem pull in. These religious law teachers had their own take on who this outsider was. Not only had Jesus healed the normal things, like blind, deaf, mute, or otherwise sick people, but he’d relieved and restored those with strange seizures, mental disturbances or even things so mysterious and scary like people who seemed possessed by other-world forces. The posse came with a big warning: “He’s possessed by Satan (Beelzeoul in Greek). That’s where he gets power to cast out demons.”

Whoa. That’s a big charge as well. So the crowd who had come in close had to decide for themselves. Is this guy insane? Is he the embodiment of evil? Or is he what he says he is?

Cancel Culture

Now, step back a minute and look at the situation from another angle. Jesus’ family knew he was getting bad press, and they also knew before long they would feel the repercussion of it. Jewish life was tied up in the synagogue and that just wasn’t for weekend carnivals. If you were not in good standing with the religious leaders, your reputation, friendships, even your business prospects were negatively impacted.

Likewise, the religious leaders, and especially those from the Jerusalem Temple basically controlled the populace with their oppressive laws. Yet, all knew they acted only on the good will of the Roman government. Attracting followers and large crowds would not be seen as a good thing, raising the question of possible insurrection. These holy guys could lose their power and control because of him.

In short, both Jesus’ family and the religious leaders needed to stop this movement building around him. What’s the first line of defense? Discredit him. Call him out, even if it’s a lie, make him look bad, suspicious, dangerous. Do what you have to do. You’ve seen it. Today we call it Cancel Culture.

Don’t Try to Rob a Strong Man

How Jesus dealt with his enemies was nothing short of smooth. He answered back with their own argument without making them look too bad in front of the crowd. Even so, they got the message.

You want to talk about Satan, the antithesis of the goodness of God, my own archenemy? Ok, I’ll go there. You say I get power from this evil one. But what I do is heal and restore. That’s not evil, but what God wants for everyone. So how can Satan do God’s work? Satan has no power to do good. Satan can’t fight against himself. He’d never survive. It would be like trying to rob a house without first tying up the strong man who lives there. Can’t happen.

But I’m not done. God forgives all sin, including blasphemy. But anyone who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven. Don’t credit to evil what is good. That is, my power is the work of God so that all people can be healed and restored to God’s goodness. To deny the work I do, to not believe and accept who I am in God and the Holy Spirit is the eternal sin, that which will separate a person from God. (Mark 2: 22-30)

Again, to his credit Jesus never called out his accusers personally. But they knew who he meant. They could walk away claiming it was an interesting theological discussion. Underneath though, Jesus had beat them at their own game. He was the strong man.

Focus on Family

As it was though, his mom and siblings did not get the same measure of kindness. Let’s face it, to declare him insane, mentally unstable must have hurt. In their minds, however, it sounded better than being called demon-possessed. But to him, those closest didn’t get it either. He didn’t want to lump them with his worst opponents but they were acting like it. This work of God for which he was sent wasn’t an easy road. So when Jesus is told his family is asking for him, he asks who is his real family.

Then looking around at those who did follow him, did look to him for healing and restoration, he claims these as his family. But not just family as in the traditional understanding. The Son of God, sent by the Father, describes his family in likely the most inclusive statement in the Gospels.

“Anyone who does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother.”

Mark 3: 20-35