First Thoughts on Year B Gospel Passages from the
Lectionary
Pentecost 2
William Loader
Pentecost 2: 6 June Mark 3:20-35
This passage begins
and ends with family problems. Sandwiched between the beginning and the
end is an exchange about exorcism. It is a typical sandwich
construction, of which Mark is fond. In fact the whole passage is about
madness. It begins with Jesus' family worried about him and wanting to
restrain him. The Greek then simply explains: "they were saying, 'He
has gone out of his mind'." The most natural way to read this is to see
it as the reason why Jesus' family wanted to act. They thought he was
out of his mind. It is possible to understand the words, "they were
saying" as referring to what others
were saying. The NRSV opts for this translation. It is less problematic
for people who do not want to imagine that Jesus' family thought such
thoughts. How could Mary, who gave birth to Jesus under miraculous
circumstances, think such a thing? But Mark shows no indication of
knowing about miracles and Mary. Later, in reporting Jesus' preaching
in his home town synagogue Mark does not hesitate to say again that his
own family rejected him: "‘Prophets are not without honour, except in
their home town, and among their own kin, and in their own house.’
(6:4). Naturally, both Matthew and Luke censor the detail about the
family and madness, deleting it when they rewrite this section of Mark.
The family comes again in 3:31. It looks like picking up where Mark
left off in 3:21. Jesus does not reject his family, but makes it very
clear that there are higher priorities than family; those who take
God's will seriously and do it constitute a new kind of family. Jesus
had parents and brothers and sisters. Family ties were typically very
strong in his Jewish culture. By setting out courageously on a new
adventure instead of doing what all families would have expected at age
30, namely getting married and having chidren to build security for the
future of the clan, Jesus had already challenged established patterns.
He told some people to stay with their families and live radically for
God there; but others he called to leave all that behind and join him.
At home or on the road, from now on God was to rule, not family.
So Jesus' family thought he was going mad; or at least some around them
did, and they set out to rescue him. Mark places another story inside
this story with telling effect. The religious leaders also thought he
was mad, but put it in terms of being possessed or in league with the
prince of demons, Beelzebub. Jesus' family and friends are not in good
company. Jesus rejects the criticism, pointing out that he had been
freeing people from demons and this could hardly have been in the
interest of the prince of demons. Rather than being partners, Jesus was
undoing Beelzebub's work, just as in the wilderness he had engaged in
conflict with Satan. Jesus doesn't even mind too much if they slander
him personally, but he does mind when they slander the Spirit of God
who empowers him to do such work (3:28). Rejecting God means rejecting
forgiveness and grace, making no forgiveness possible.
When the ancient world spoke of people being demon possessed, they were
describing what we, too, can see, when people act out of character and
sometimes in delusory ways. We have different understandings of mental
illness and different methods of healing. The reality is that, however
he did it, Jesus engaged in healing which liberated some people from
mental illness. Jesus embodied God's agenda of restoring people to
wholeness so that they could take their place again in creation and be
free. This was liberation, salvation. That agenda has not changed.
Bringing God's reign and reality into the present means engaging in
liberation. This is much broader than dealing with mental illness. It
includes both personal and community liberation. Setting people free
from oppression, whether within themselves or within their communities
through oppressive political regimes or self-indulgent politics which
seeks only the interests of the rich - this remains the agenda, for
which God's life within us through the Spirit inspires and enables us.
By placing the scribe's accusation beside the family's worries, Mark
helps us recognise that sometimes people really do need to be liberated
from their families. We can understand that psychologically, when
people remain bound by memories or patterns of behaviour which have
derived from dysfunctional behaviours and patterns within their
families of origin. People who marry need to reflect on how the grooves
have been worn by past experiences and be alert enough to regrade the
road along which they are going to travel in future. The call to follow
God's will entails being willing to acknowledge and change old
patterns, go through a conversion process, which leaves mad ways
behind. Our families serve us best when they set us free, not only at
birth, but through into adulthood. At best we then embrace and honour
that love and freedom which families can bring. At worst we need to be
saved from our families.
Family values need not appear mad. Our family values may reflect our
family's reduction by the self-indulgent agenda of living just for
ourseves and ignoring the needs of others. It can instill political
attitudes which have us unwittingly live as allies of the rich and
enemies of the poor or at least with little concern for them. For many
this is very normal. Mark challenged the family party, and called
instead for people to embrace the family of solidarity with him in
doing God's will and being good news for the poor. But then, as Mark
also indicates, people will say this is mad.
Epistle: Pentecost 2: 6 June 2 Cor 4:13 - 5:1
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