Whom do I love?

A sermon based Mark 3:20-34

20 and the crowd came together again, so that they could not even eat.

21 When his family heard it, they went out to restrain him, for people were saying, “He has gone out of his mind.” 22 And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem said, “He has Beelzebul, and by the ruler of the demons he casts out demons.” 23 And he called them to him, and spoke to them in parables, “How can Satan cast out Satan? 24 If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. 25 And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. 26 And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand, but his end has come. 27 But no one can enter a strong man’s house and plunder his property without first tying up the strong man; then indeed the house can be plundered.

28 “Truly I tell you, people will be forgiven for their sins and whatever blasphemies they utter; 29 but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit can never have forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin”— 30 for they had said, “He has an unclean spirit.”

The True Kindred of Jesus

31 Then his mother and his brothers came; and standing outside, they sent to him and called him. 32 A crowd was sitting around him; and they said to him, “Your mother and your brothers and sisters[a] are outside, asking for you.” 33 And he replied, “Who are my mother and my brothers?” 34 And looking at those who sat around him, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers!

When was the last time you experienced being in a crowd? It's been a long time, hasn’t it? Summer before last we went on a bus trip to Maine for our 50th anniversary. As I recall Kinnebunkport was the busiest and most crowded place on our trip. We waited in line for crab cake sandwiches and lemonade among a ton of other people. It was challenging to find a place to sit once we had our order. It could have gotten claustrophobic, but it seemed we could step out of the crowd when we needed to; folks were going in several directions rather than all pressed in the same direction.

This day in Galilee was different. The intensity of the crowd; crowding around Jesus to see him, hear him, be touched by him. Any of us might become claustrophobic.

In the midst of all these people, propelled by previous healings, come the scribes from Jerusalem, looking for trouble. They say they are waiting for the Messiah, but they wait with no love in their hearts.

In addition to the scribes, his family, too, has been watching and they hear stories. They’ve come to see for themselves. If we follow the Catholic and Orthodox traditions that Jesus is Mary’s only child and these other brothers and sisters are Joseph’s children, we will imagine that for them, Jesus is the little brother - a distinction that does not always end with age. They are concerned for him; they fear for him. What are they afraid of?

They may be afraid that he will wear himself out and become ill.

They seem to be afraid that he really has become insane as some people say.

They may be afraid he has gone too far in his pronouncements and will get into trouble with the authorities and that could lead to imprisonment or death.

And all this talk about demons. Now that is really scary.

It reminds me of the reaction of a typical, but perhaps nominal, churchgoing family who becomes concerned when one of their children wants to go to Pakistan, Turkey, or Cambodia to be engaged in a sort of underground Christian mission. After all these countries are officially closed to any proclamation of Christian faith. Are you crazy, they may proclaim!

The child, now grown, may proclaim, Look, family, you say you know the gospel of Jesus Christ. You have raised me in the church. You know the joy, peace, and purpose in your life because you know Christ. This is what I want to share with people in the most difficult parts of the world. I must go. God is calling me there.

If such a family continues to reject this calling their child expresses, the child will experience a greater sense of family and closeness with those they minister to and with than to their own family. Participation in the active family of God is a profound experience.

I wonder what happened next. After Jesus expressed where he felt the greater kinship, spreading out his arms and declaring that these people pressing around him are his real family, did he then get up and walk out to his family? That might nullify what he has just said.

Did he have conversations with them afterward? Perhaps so.

Did he stay where he was and did his family leave and walk home? What did they learn from this awkward exchange?

I’m reminded of the beginning of Jesus’ ministry when he and his family, or at least Mary, were at the wedding in Cana. She says to him, Son, they have run out of wine. He says to her, That’s not my concern. My time has not come yet. He seems to be saying that he will not do anything about it.

Then she says to the servants, Do whatever he tells you.

Did he then roll his eyes at her? Did he pray to his Father? Was this a course correction in the voice of his mother? Sometimes mothers do that in our lives. Maybe it really was time to initiate his ministry.

And he, indeed, does something about the wine problem which does initiate his mission and declares something important about this new movement of God. It IS the time for new wine. God is doing something new in your midst...something prophesied for centuries. The kingdom is coming.

And so I wonder, in this accounting, are the tables turned? Does Mary learn something new about her relationship to Jesus and his relationship to her and to the world?

There is something a bit concerning about the juxtaposition of the visit of the scribes from Jerusalem and the visit of Jesus’ family. Both have come from somewhere else. Neither have come to endorse what Jesus is doing at this moment in time. One to criticize; one to rescue. Neither is in tune with the Holy Spirit.

And then we have these words of Jesus, “Truly I tell you, people will be forgiven for their sins and whatever blasphemies they utter; 29 but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit can never have forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin”— 30 for they had said, “He has an unclean spirit.”

Are Jesus’ words about blasphemy meant for both groups of people? Both the scribes and his mother and family? Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is not a once and done attitude, but a continued mindset. Jesus is telling all who will listen, if you continue to deny the activity of the Holy Spirit you have cut yourself off from the only source of forgiveness, the only source of eternal love. The natural consequence of that is eternal separation from the source of that love and forgiveness.

Is there a remedy? Absolutely yes. The remedy is confession. My attitude is wrong. My opinion is wrong. My actions are wrong. I am a sinner in need of God’s grace. God is the source of love and forgiveness. My selfish actions are wrong. Forgive me. Restore me. Love me.

Can you imagine the scribes adopting this attitude; saying these words? How about Jesus’ family? The resurrection must have made the pieces all fit together. Surely there was confession of wrong and right belief. The biblical record is clear about James, the brother of Jesus and his faithfulness in faith. He became the leader of the church in Jerusalem until he was martyred in AD 62. That other brothers were later converted is clear, for they are described in Acts as uniting with the disciples and others in "prayer and supplication" prior to Pentecost (Acts 1:13-14).

So here in this passage it is clear. Allegiance to Jesus alone is the hallmark of the Christian. Nothing else can compete with our allegiance and devotion to him. Not government, not political parties, not Main Street advertisers, not social expectations and as Jesus demonstrates, not even family. Nothing can compete with the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords, the sweet lover of my soul. It is through him alone that we will find healing and new life that will last for all eternity. Amen.