Is He Crazy?
Mark 3:20-35
In Mark’s Gospel, Jesus had just finished calling the twelve for the ministry. Matthew gives a little more information including a long sermon to prepare the disciples for opposition which would eventually come to them on account of Jesus even though the tour they went on went pretty well. Matthew also places the Sabbath controversies as coming after this preaching tour, whereas Mark shows that the passage we will be discussing came right after the commissioning of the twelve. The order Matthew has makes more sense in interpreting this passage, but we really cannot be sure of the order of events.
Verse 20 states that Jesus went into a house. It probably wasn’t just any house. It was a place which he called “home” as this is what the Greek means. Home is a place where one can relax and destress. We know that Jesus had been plotted against by the Pharisees. He also attracted the attention of the sick and possessed. Instead of Sabbath which Jesus and the disciples needed, He was soon surrounded by a large crowd demanding His attention. They could not even find time to eat. So I can only think that Jesus appeared worn out.
Verse 21 reads that when those “from Him” herd that Jesus was home, they came with the intent to seize him. The Greek says that these people thought Jesus was insane. Insane people were shielded from public exposure, as they were seen as a source of shame to the family. These who came were going to take Him away. A little aside here is that the Greek word for “crazy” is the word we get “exist” from, but I digress. But just who are those who were “from Him”? The term is used for those in close relation to Jesus. Could it be that the disciples thought Him crazy? This seems most unlikely as the disciples were already with Jesus and these came from outside. Could it be the people from His home village who were loosely related to Him? No, the text will show that it was Jesus’ own brothers accompanied by His mother who came to take Him away. We know from John 7 that His brothers were unbelievers. It would not seem odd that they would have come to take His crazy brother away. But what about Mary His mother? Surely she knew better we would think.
Some who hold that it was Jesus’ brothers are referred to here hold that they kind of dragged Mary with them. Surely Mary would not think Jesus crazy. After all, is she not the Mother of God, the Blessed Virgin? I can’t say for sure what the truth is here, but it is interesting that John the Baptist in prison had a moment of unbelief where he sends his disciples to ask whether Jesus was the Christ or whether Israel should look for someone else? This is John whom Jesus says that none other who had been born was greater. Yet John the Baptist has a moment of personal doubt because Jesus did not follow the script that John had assumed He would follow. Even Jesus’ brothers when they ask Him in John seven to reveal Himself in Jerusalem as Messiah showed the same misunderstanding. Could Mary also had a moment of doubt, at least enough to listen to her other sins.
It was not long before the Scribes from Jerusalem spotted the crowd and began to work doubt in the crowd. They kept insisting that Jesus was demon possessed and was doing His miracles by Satan. “He has Beelzebub, and this is how the demons are cast out.” Jesus’ response was to gather His accusers together out from the crowd. He then started to address them in parables which indicated He might have spoken more than what is recorded here.
Jesus responds by an argument from common sense. If the devil was casting his own devils out of people, he would be fighting against himself and his own. If this were true, Satan’s kingdom would soon fall. Kingdoms and empires in history have often fallen victim to internal dissention. For since Satan is purely evil who is out to destroy the human race and usurp God’s throne, such division would be welcome news indeed. Why would the scribes and Pharisees hinder it? Jesus strongly says in Greek that if this were true, Satan’s kingdom has an end.
The next parable Jesus speaks is a little more difficult. A strong man is quite capable of defending his house. Not only is he on his own turf, but he is mighty. If someone wanted to break in and plunder him, he would first have to be incapacitated. The question is who is the strong man? Some see Jesus as the strong man whom the devil tries to bind in order to plunder God’s house. Even though Jesus would be led away by the devilish act of Judas and bound and crucified, this was not the end as Jesus who lay in death’s strong bands would rise again on the third day. So it seems better to take the strong man as Satan. Jesus binds Satan to free men from Satan’s power and demon possession. This Jesus can do with a single word or movement of His finger. Jesus is plundering Satan’s kingdom.
Jesus now gives a stern warning to the Scribes and all who were opposing Him. He says all manners of sin and blasphemy can be forgiven, that are committed against the Son of Man. Now the term “Son of Man” is actually a divine title which has its origin in the Book of Daniel. So in a sense, to sin and blaspheme against Jesus is to sin and blaspheme against God. But Jesus lists an exception to forgiveness. Those who blaspheme against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven. One might ask what the difference there is in blaspheming God the Son and God the Holy Spirit as they with the Father are co-equal. Why should blasphemy against one member of the Trinity be unforgivable?
The answer to this can be seen by the fact that Jesus while on earth did not depend on His own authority as the Son of God but rather submitted Himself to the Holy Spirit who guided His ministry. It was by the Holy Spirit He was casting out demons. What Jesus was saying to the Scribes is that they were about to or had already committed the unpardonable sin by saying that the work of the Holy Spirit was the Spirit of Satan. It is the worst of blasphemy because it would be stating that Satan cares more about people’s welfare than God does. This view of God makes God look terrible and evil and makes Satan the good guy. This is patently false. But if Jesus is by the Holy Spirit casting out Satan, it properly shows God as the God of compassion and Satan as evil.
Jesus’ mother and brothers had stood at the periphery of this crowd. Did they hear what Jesus had just said. Did they think Him crazy? Did what Jesus just say confirm their worst fears. It is a lesser charge to accuse Jesus of being crazy than to be demon possessed. It shows that even back then, people knew the difference between insanity and possession. They had heard enough. Jesus was putting himself in danger by smarting off like this to the scribes from Jerusalem. They needed to put Jesus in protective custody as well as to keep the family from being shamed. As we have noted, it certainly fell within the thinking of His brothers.
The family sent word to Jesus through a messenger that His family wanted to talk with Him. Perhaps the crowd was too difficult to navigate and they passed word by what in America is called telephone tag where one layer of the crowd told those in front of them and so on until Jesus heard. What is important is that Jesus got the message. And in typical fashion, Jesus gives the unexpected answer. The expected answer would be “I’ll be right over, mom.” But Jesus knew this was not a casual request for a visit. So he instead addresses the crowd and says that His understanding of family was different than the conventional one of blood relation. Jesus’ family was those who were doing God’s will. This is a rebuke to His own family in that they were not at this point doing God’s will. Instead of supporting His ministry, they were trying to take Him away from it. It was also a repudiation to the Scribes as well. We can see this later at the Passover meal which was the consummate family celebration. It was to be eaten with one’s family. We don’t know if Mary and Jesus’ earthly brothers were there or not. They are not mentioned. The disciples should have eaten it with their earthly relations as well. But who is expressly as the guests of the supper? –the disciples. This illustrates well what Jesus is saying here.
So when we look at this passage as a whole, what can we take away? It is obvious that we must be careful about the holy things of God. Blasphemy is serious, and when it gives Satan credit for the acts of God, this is extremely dangerous. But it is also some comfort that we can find forgiveness for sins and blasphemies short of that. This is not that we should do these things, of course, but simply that God is compassionate to forgive us.
This passage tells us that Jesus is more than just human. He came from the Father. He is both fully human and divine. He came to do the will of the Father. Everything He did here on earth was to give glory and was done by the power of God. This should serve as an example to us as well if we are His disciples. Should we not endeavor to glorify God in all that we do. Should not the works we do be a billboard to the grace of God in Jesus Christ? Likewise, should we repudiate the works of darkness. If we bear the name of Christ, we should not advertise the works of Satan or give the world pause when they see us. We do not want God to look bad because of us. The world is certainly going to call us crazy and attribute the good we do to Satan anyway. Let us not give them ammunition.
Finally, this verse assures us that we are family if we do the will of the Father. What a privilege we have been given? The title “Mother of God” has pretty much been given to Mary alone, but Jesus calls those who do His will, his mother. It is easier to accept that Jesus is our brother, but mother? This is indded the ultimate blessing. It is with awesome wonder that we ponder this, knowing how unworthy we are of such. O Lord, help us to live the life to which we are called. May we be the mother who gives birth to children who are born again by the Spirit of God.
