FINDINGS VI By Harry T. Cook
 
Proper 5 - B - June 7, 2015

Mark 3: 20-35  

 

  

Harry T. Cook
By Harry T. Cook
6/1/15


  

The placement of this series of events by Mark differs from how their parallels are placed in the other two synoptic gospels. Mark precedes his own "house divided against itself" passage with vv. 19-21, which verses have no parallel in Matthew or Luke. The whole thing is preceded by the calling of the 12. But before that, Mark gives witness to multiple healing events that have attracted a crowd of the curious together, we assume, with the co-workers he had already recruited. There is so much commotion that they cannot enjoy a quiet meal together. The upshot is that some people maybe his own relatives, think Jesus was "out of his mind." Not insane, not in trance, but acting against his own self-interest. The word is εζεστη, with the possible meaning in this context of "departed from a thought-to-be-normal behavior pattern." However, the primary concern of this text is demon possession, so it may have been the case that craziness was everywhere in the air, that no one was completely stable and harbored fears everyone else was mentally off-center.

 

Not only do the crowds follow Jesus in his train, but the religious authorities exhibit interest as well. Matthew says "Pharisees" came to inquire what was going on. Mark says it was the "scribes" (those who combined Torah pedantry with bureaucracy). Luke says merely that "some" were asking about the fuss. It is probably safe to read "Pharisees," "scribes" and "some" as representing various late first century CE figures of synagogue Judaism who were perceived as antagonistic toward the advances of Jesus Judaism and would take any opportunity to discredit what good was being said about the followers of the dead Jesus.

 

Whatever the exact identity of Jesus' detractors, they end up claiming that his powers have their provenance in Satan, the prince of demons. All three synoptic gospels depict Jesus demonstrating the illogic of that accusation. If whatever had been ailing those people Jesus is said to have made whole was of demonic origin (and no one was claiming otherwise), how could it be said that the demonic had acted against its own effect and affect? Fighting fire with fire? The late first century CE communities of Jesus Judaism evidently believed that they possessed or were possessed by a "spirit" -- a term probably understood at the time to mean an unseen numinous presence supposed to possess the potential of considerable power.

 

Ched Myers' "binding the strong man" image suggests that the communities that produced the synoptic gospels believed Jesus, perhaps the embodiment of that "spirit," was up against a mighty foe in Satan, the alleged opposing force. It may be helpful to remember that the word "satan" is derived from the Semitic root stn, which means an object or force that crosses one's path and perhaps blocks it as well. (Stumbling blocks?) In any event, it remained for those committed to Jesus Judaism to be ever at the ready to overwhelm such forces as Jesus was depicted as having done.

 

The lectionary adds to this Markan reading vv. 31-35 with parallels at Matthew 12:46-50 and Luke 8:19-21. The issue here is who comprises Jesus' family. The suggestion is that his mother and brothers (αδελφοι) -- probably meaning blood brothers or some close kin, unless the term was being used in a more generic sense -- were part of the unruly crowd that infringed upon the decorum at mealtime and could not gain access to Jesus. The response Jesus is depicted as giving to the one who informed him that his family was waiting is pretty stuffy. If Jesus actually said anything like what is depicted ("My mother and my brothers? Who would they be?") what is reported is probably hyperbole. The more obvious meaning is that Jesus thought he was doing the will of the deity in whom he believed and that "family" includes those who were doing what he was doing, and those who are not doing so or attempt to block his way to doing them were not.

 

Is it possible to make the reach that Mark was saying that Jesus' family partook in that stn thing that was trying to block his passage, albeit out of fear that it would consume him? Might Jesus have being saying roughly the same thing here that he is depicted by Matthew at 16:23 and Mark at 8:33 as saying: "Get thee behind me, Satan?"

 

The Baptismal Covenant of the Episcopal Book of Common Prayer defines "family" in its own way as the sponsors of the candidate (almost always family members or close enough friends to be considered "family) vow to "strive for justice and peace among all people" and to "respect the dignity of every human being." (BCP 1979. 305)

 

 


Copyright 2015 Harry T. Cook. All rights reserved. This article may not be used or reproduced without proper credit.
 

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