Our Sermons

Bible Passage: Mark 3:20-35
Pastor: Pastor Schlicht
Sermon Date:  June 13, 2021

There are some topics that are sensitive to preach on. I think family is one of them. Because family is precious. If there’s one thing that we can all agree on, Christian and non-Christian, it’s that family is a precious gift. And, as is the case with all of God’s good gifts, the Devil tries to get us to throw them away. But if that doesn’t work, he stops pulling and starts pushing. He stops trying to get us to throw it away and encourages us to over-prioritize it. In most Christian circles, this is certainly his tactic with our families. That’s why it is a sensitive topic because, contrary to popular belief, committed Christian faith doesn’t always fit nicely into family dynamics. Family and faith should never be pitted against each other but when those whom we love so much tempt us to dial down our faith, consciously or unconsciously, it is a severe temptation. Jesus’ words in Mark 3 hold a lot of application for all of us who navigate the often turbulent waters of strong family ties and committed faith. Let’s go to the text.

Mark 3:20-35 is what is called an intercalation, or a story sandwich. The section begins with a story, but another event is inserted in the middle, and then the original story concludes. These “sandwiches” are quite distinctive of Mark’s Gospel. There are seven of them within his 16 chapters. (Some count 9.) Perhaps the most well-known example is the healing of Jairus’ daughter which is interrupted by the bleeding woman who touched Jesus’ robe in Mark 5. The interesting thing about these story-sandwiches is that, just like edible sandwiches, the inner contents or “meat” of the sandwich defines the whole sandwich. We don’t call them bread sandwiches, we call them PB&J sandwiches or ham sandwiches. It is the middle that interprets the whole. And the same is true with this sandwich; the inserted middle verses will help us interpret the larger story. Here is the composition of the sandwich in chapter 3:

Bread: Mark 3:20–21, describing the setting and the start of the search for Jesus by his family.

Meat: Mark 3:22–30, the scribes’ insinuations and Jesus’ response which climaxes with a warning about blasphemy against the Holy Spirit.

Bread: Mark 3:31–35, the arrival of Jesus’ mother and brothers and his shocking words about family.

Let’s start with the top piece of bread. Then Jesus entered a house, and again a crowd gathered, so that he and his disciples were not even able to eat.  When his family heard about this, they went to take charge of him, for they said, “He is out of his mind.” (Mk 3:20-21)  Jesus enters a house with so many eager followers that they pack in so tightly he and his disciples could not put a meal together and sit down to eat. (May we be so eager to hear our Savior’s Word!) Then we hear that his family, literally “those near to him”, set out to take charge of him. This is the same verb to “take charge” that is used later in Mark during Jesus’ arrest in the garden of Gethsemane. They have come to more than just talk with him. Why? Because they think “he is out of his mind.” Now it may sound weird that they think this about him but they do have plenty of reasons to be worried when you think about the situation. Jesus, to this point in Mark’s gospel, has already been teaching without the approval of the scribes, he’s healed unclean lepers, he’s eaten with sinners, he has denounced the Pharisees concerning the Sabbath, he has driven out many demons–some of which even know his name! It’s gotten to the point that religious leaders are thinking of charging him with blasphemy, a capital offense, and he has hardly begun his ministry! What would you think if you were his family? “This is spiraling out of control! People are starting to say some disturbing things. Some call him the prince of demons, they say the demons listen to his voice and even know his name! He’s not demon-possessed, he’s just a little out of his mind. It’s time for an intervention, we will go take charge of him.” They come because they care. They come because they are his family.

But as they are on their way, we come to the meat of this sandwich. The scribes, the religious officials from Jerusalem, had arrived first and began to spread accusations. They say, “He is possessed by Beelzebul! By the prince of demons he is driving out demons.” So Jesus called them over to him and began to speak to them in parables: “How can Satan drive out Satan? If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand. And if Satan opposes himself and is divided, he cannot stand; his end has come.  Jesus deals with their accusation by pointing out that it makes no sense. If I were the prince of demons, why would I be driving out demons? If Satan opposes himself, he cannot stand! Jesus continues, In fact, no one can enter a strong man’s house without first tying him up. Then he can plunder the strong man’s house.  I love this parable. Jesus says, “I’m not the devil. No, I am the stronger one. I am the Son of God, who has bound up the devil and have begun to plunder his house. I have bound up the strong man and have been setting free those who belonged to him. I am taking back the souls bound by sin, just like Isaiah said I would.” (Isaiah 61:1) And here is how he finishes, Truly I tell you, people can be forgiven all their sins and every slander they utter, but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; they are guilty of an eternal sin.” He said this because they were saying, “He has an impure spirit.” They said that Jesus had an impure spirit, but the truth is that he had the Holy Spirit. That was their terrible sin. The one that Jesus said, if persisted, would be an eternal sin. They were calling the Holy Spirit impure. They were calling the work of the Holy Spirit the work of Satan. This is the unforgivable sin. If you scorn the Holy Spirit you have cut off his ability to work in your heart! You will not be forgiven, because you have turned away from forgiveness itself. These religious leaders needed a strong warning because they were doing just that. (The old adage is true: If you are concerned about committing this sin, then you haven’t committed it.)

And then comes the final piece of bread. Then Jesus’ mother and brothers arrived. Standing outside, they sent someone in to call him. A crowd was sitting around him, and they told him, “Your mother and brothers are outside looking for you.” “Who are my mother and my brothers?” he asked. Then he looked at those seated in a circle around him and said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! Whoever does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother.”

We could talk about a thousand things, but if we want to understand the main thrust we need to know how the meat relates to the bread. First and foremost, there is a clear parallel drawn between Jesus’ family and the accusing religious leaders. Jesus’ family does not accuse Jesus of being possessed, but they do join the scribes in actively opposing his ministry. Their intent might be different, but the root of their sin is the same: the Devil himself. Beelzebub has inspired their attempt to domesticate Jesus just as he has the scribe’s rejection of the Holy Spirit. This is a warning for each of us. Let that sink in. The Devil is at work, even sometimes through our family members, to work against the ministry of the Holy Spirit. It could be your children who just don’t want to go to church. Or a grown-up child who asks their parents to be content with their decision to live against God’s Word. It could be the step-father who challenges what you believe. It could be a wife or husband who thinks that you shouldn’t get so serious about Jesus or give money to the Lord’s work. It could be someone close who says, “I just think being a good person is all that really matters to God.” (An unbiblical sentiment that renders Jesus’ death on the cross completely unnecessary.) In a thousand other ways, our family can work, unknowingly, in league with the Devil against the Holy Spirit’s ministry in Christ Jesus. And when those we love so much deliver the temptation we must be prepared to answer in love and strength, never apologizing for Jesus and refusing to domesticate his teachings.

This brings me to Jesus’ final words. “Whoever does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother.” Jesus’ family, those first described as being “near him”, found themselves standing outside, not because they didn’t care about him, not because Jesus was mean, but because, despite their best intentions, they were not doing God’s will. And so Jesus looked around at those actually near him, those outcasts and sinners, those unclean and broken, those formerly possessed and sick, and he says, “Contrary to popular belief: This is my family! Those who believe in me are my family. Those who trust the Holy Spirit inside of me and do the will of God, these are my mothers and my brothers!” Jesus’ words redefine what constitutes his family. For as long as humans have been born we determine family on two things: blood and heritage. But Jesus has rejected the religious “fathers” of Israel and ignored his own blood! Blood may be thicker than water, but the Spirit is thicker than blood.

One caveat: If you, and it is natural, are surprised at Jesus’ harshness here keep in mind two things. First, notice that it doesn’t say Jesus never talked to his family. He might have gone out and talked to them later, we don’t know. But secondly, and more certainly, Jesus was not unloving to his family. Not at all, in fact, we find out later that  Jesus’ love convinced his brother James to become a leader of the early church. And who can forget how Jesus, in his darkest hour, used his last breaths to provide for his mother as she knelt at the foot of his cross? The truth is that Jesus loved his family with perfect selflessness. He never broke the fourth commandment; he never dishonored his family. In fact, it is because of his love for his family that he needed to speak so strongly. And this isn’t the only time he spoke about family: “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters–yes, even his own life–he cannot be My disciple! (Lk 14:26)” “Let the dead bury their own dead. (Mt 8:22)” And finally, “Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. (Mt 10:37)”

He speaks like this to wake us up. Jesus’ words are meant to shock us. “Who are my mother and my brothers?” would sting any family. But in love, Jesus needs to speak like this in order to break through our cultural stupor which exalts family above God. Contrary to popular belief, our earthly families are not more important than Jesus. Family and God should never be pitted against each other, but there is supposed to be an obvious distinction in our lives about where our loyalties lie. There may be no other sin as overlooked or accepted in American Christianity as the idolatry of family. The sin of going to church and praising God, but going home and finding our deepest joy, our deepest love, and our deepest hope in our family, not God. Satan would like us to hold onto the idol of family, but Jesus’ words shake us so that we let go. In severe mercy, he spurned his mother and brothers, to call sinners his family. Thank God that he did…and still does. 

My friends, that is the meat of the sandwich which interprets the whole thing. Jesus proclaims that there is forgiveness for every sin. Even the times we have bowed to our earthly family instead of God. Jesus has paid for that sin in full. We are forgiven. Remember, Jesus has bound up the strong man. The Devil is strong, but our Savior is so much stronger. He crushed the ancient serpent’s head; he has reclaimed us as his own from the house of Beelzebul through his death and resurrection. And we are invited to be more than just freed slaves, although that would be good enough! Contrary to popular belief, Jesus still looks at sinners and says “this is my family.” Jesus looks at you and me and says, “These are my mothers and brothers…” May we hold onto this promise of love. May we share it with our families and our own souls time and time again. May we love God and love our families enough to show them that Jesus is our greatest joy. May live boldly for our crazy brother Jesus and let the Holy Spirit go to work in the lives of those whom we love most.

Amen.