Chapter 3.7-35; Page 5.28-7.12

Observations

• Who: great crowds (c/c crowds 1.7, 2.27, 3.22; 4.13); disciples; many sick, unclean spirits; those he desired; 12 apostles (named individually); Jesus’ family; Jerusalem scribes; Beelzebul/Satan; Jesus physical and spiritual families.
• What: withdrawal; healing and exorcism; crowd interest/control; apostles called, came, appointed and renamed, and given job description (be with him, be sent out to preach, and have authority to cast out demons); family attempts to seize Jesus; accusation by scribes and Jesus’ answer – an unforgivable sin; Jesus re-defines who he considers his family to be.
• Where: by the sea; on the mountain; at home
• Connections and repeats: crowds; call (the first four, Levy, Jesus to the apostles, family to Jesus); more sick and unclean; authority – this time delegated to the apostles; continuing conflict – with scribes, and now Jesus’ own family; sin and blasphemy – cf paralytic; Holy Spirit and God again referenced;
• Contrasts: the interest of the crowds from a wide geographic region/the rejection by the scribes and Jesus’ family; all sins forgiven/one sin unforgivable; unity/diversity of apostles; divided kingdom; physical family/kingdom family
• Definitions: job of an apostle; why Jesus has power to cast our demons; kingdom family

Interpretation

• The crowds are from a much larger geographic region, including Gentile areas; it is interesting that these areas are included immediately after the murderous collusion between the Pharisees and Herodians, as if Jesus is propelled into these regions by this rejection, regions where, in contrast to Jerusalem, he is widely accepted.
• Jesus radically redefines the kingdom of God by appointing 12 new ‘patriarchs’ and undermining the nuclear family: connection to God’s kingdom is no longer genetic, but is response-based, those who do the will of God. Doing, not just thinking: those described as Jesus’ family have responded to his call, and endangered themselves by associating with Jesus; they are fulfilling one of the job assignments: they are with him.
• Proper use of Jesus’ authority is not automatic: Judas is noted as a betrayer even at this point in Mark’s narrative.
• Part of our calling is to be with Jesus; it is all too easy at times to be obsessed with doing the work of the kingdom; but part of Jesus’ call is simply to be with him. Yet, being with him is itself risky behavior: those in Jesus’ true family have joined him in standing against the religious leaders, and challenged one of the core values of society: family loyalty. So being with Jesus is not just a warm feeling: it is identifying oneself with him.
• Again Jesus sees himself as the locus and focus of the kingdom: he assumes the right to appoint apostles, assign them a purpose, re-constitute their lives by re-naming them, and delegate to them his own mission of preaching and casting our demons.
• The word ‘seize’: HOLD (DOWN, FAST, FORTH, ON, TO, UP), HELD, HOLDEN, (TAKE) HOLD 6. krateo NT:2902, "to be strong, mighty, to prevail," (1) is most frequently rendered "to lay or take hold on" (a) literally, e. g., Matt 12:11; 14:3; 18:28 and 21:46, RV (KJV, "laid hands on"); 22:6, RV (KJV, "took"); 26:55, KJV (RV, "took); 28:9, RV, "took hold of" (KJV, "held by"); Mark 3:21; 6:17; 12:12; 14:51; Acts 24:6, RV (KJV, "took"); Rev 20:2; (b) metaphorically, of "laying hold of the hope of the Lord's return," Heb 6:18; (2) also signifies "to hold" or "hold fast," i. e., firmly, (a), literally, Matt 26:48, KJV (RV, "take"); Acts 3:11; Rev 2:1; (b) metaphorically, of "holding fast a tradition or teaching," in an evil sense, Mark 7:3,4,8; Rev 2:14,15; in a good sense, 2 Thess 2:15; Rev 2:25; 3:11; of "holding" Christ, i. e., practically apprehending Him, as the head of His church, Col 2:19; a confession, Heb 4:14; the name of Christ, i. e., abiding by all that His name implies, Rev 2:13; of restraint, Luke 24:16, "(their eyes) were holden"; of the winds, Rev 7:1; of the impossibility of Christ's being "holden" of death, Acts 2:24. See KEEP, RETAIN (of sins), TAKE.
• (from Vine's Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words, Copyright © 1985, Thomas Nelson Publishers.)
• 2902 used 15x in Mark: 1.31, 3.21, 5.41, 6.17, 7.3, 7.4, 7.8, 9.10, 9.27, 12.12, 14.1, 14.44, 14.46, 14.49, 14.51
• How can a sin be unforgivable? This may a statement of consequence: by the time a religious person has so rejected God as to mistake His activity as that of Satan, that person has put themselves beyond the reach of God’s redeemer: they cannot come to him in faith and repentance, and remain unforgivable.

Application

• Does my vision of Jesus’ people include foreigners? Outsiders? Former, or current, political enemies?
• Has Jesus called you to be with him? Proclaim his message? Receive authority to confront personified evil? How is this job description a reality in your life of faith?
• Do you have any experience of being with, or identifying with, Jesus in his radical redefinition of the kingdom of God, and who his true family really is? What was that experience like?
• How do you think Jesus would respond to someone who says nuclear family is God’s highest call?
• Do we really think that the kingdom of God is in direct conflict with our surrounding society? Or do we think there is an alliance between the state and God’s kingdom to accomplish Godly values?
• Where are you on the pathway of responsiveness? Seeking Jesus? Responding to his call? Wondering if he is crazy, or possessed?