A few of you here today don’t mind conflict.Most of us don’t like conflict at all. And we’ll do whatever we can to avoid it.
Our passage today is a conflict story. It’s provoking. Accusatory. Hateful. Deceived. And what happens to Jesus is, in a large way, very shameful.
But it’s also really a one-way conflict.Two groups of people both accuse and attack Jesus.But he doesn’t retaliate.Surprisingly, he doesn’t attack or get angry….though as the Lord of heaven and earth, he has the right to attack and judge
We are in the middle of a sermon series going through a fascinating account about Jesus Christ.It’s difficult to argue that anyone in history can surpass Jesus in influence and fame and love.And even surpass him in the hatred that is directed toward him.The animosity.Resentment.Jesus is the most polarizing person ever to live.
Today’s passage in Mark 3 focuses on two stories…of people who completely misunderstand Jesus.And this is more than a simple misunderstanding between two normal people, let’s say, that a misunderstanding that you and I have.This misunderstanding is actually a tragic and grieving view of God.Jesus came to love, heal, and save, yet he is consistently rejected and attacked.
And if we zoom out, the treatment of Jesus in the Gospel of Mark is simply a continuation of how mankind has been treating God since the very beginning.Genesis 3 and the Fall of mankind in the Garden began a pattern of sin and darkness that has not quit since then.Yet in the face of all that rejection, God sent his Son, Jesus, as the Remedy.
Mark 3:20–30 CSB
20 Jesus entered a house, and the crowd gathered again so that they were not even able to eat.
21 When his family heard this, they set out to restrain him, because they said, “He’s out of his mind.”
22 The scribes who had come down from Jerusalem said, “He is possessed by Beelzebul,” and, “He drives out demons by the ruler of the demons.”
23 So he summoned them and spoke to them in parables: “How can Satan drive out Satan?
24 If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.
25 If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand.
26 And if Satan opposes himself and is divided, he cannot stand but is finished.
27 But no one can enter a strong man’s house and plunder his possessions unless he first ties up the strong man. Then he can plunder his house.
28 “Truly I tell you, people will be forgiven for all sins and whatever blasphemies they utter.
29 But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin”—
30 because they were saying, “He has an unclean spirit.”
Opposition to Jesus continues in this Gospel.
The first story (vs. 20-21) may surprise us:Jesus’ own family is troubled by him.Sure, the family would admit, Jesus is healing and casting out demons and speaking unlike anyone the world has ever known.But the crowds are out of control.So many people.So many needs.And now Jesus and his disciples aren’t even able to eat a meal.
Something is wrong, his family says.Very wrong.Jesus is simply out of his mind.He’s unstable.A little crazy.
What is their conclusion?They have come to restrain him.Take custody of him.The word can also mean, “arrest.” His own family is so alarmed by him that they want to take him away.“It’s for his own good,” they believe.Basically, they are seeking an intervention.
Years ago, my wife had a family member who was very unstable.His drug and alcohol usage was out of control.He was an addict, and he was a danger to himself.Plus, he was often driving while under the influence, so he was a danger to others.Three or four family members took legal action through the courts to have him detained.The police took him to get him help.That was a radical step.
It reminds me of what Jesus’ family is doing.
But there is a vast chasm between my wife’s family story and Jesus’ story.Our family member was truly a danger.Drugs and alcohol clouded his mind.
But Jesus’ mind could not be clearer.Instead of destructive tendencies, he had life-giving actions. He was teaching the good news of eternal life.He was healing.Setting people free from darkened demon possession.And more foundationally, he was and is the Creator of heaven and earth.He has all authority.
So as we realize who Jesus truly was and is, his family’s intentions, while noble-appearing on the outside, are actually extremely confused and dark.Jesus is not the one deceived;his family is.
So consider this from Jesus’ perspective.His own family has known him for 30 years. And at this point, they simply don’t believe who he is.They doubt his claims.And in spite of the miracles and power he displays, they actually think he is crazy. It’s one level of pain to have the crowds or religious leaders reject you and doubt you.But it’s a deeper level of pain to have your own family, including your mother, think you should be taken away for your own good!
And then in vs. 22, the rejection gets worse.The religious leaders once again oppose him.We’ve already seen it several times.But this time, their attack runs to the deepest level:They believe his powerful work of casting out demons is actually a work of the devil himself.
Consider what is happening here:The Holy Son of God, righteous, pure, good, powerful, loving, gracious, and wise, is being accused of being driven by the devil.What is so ironic is that even the demons know who Jesus really is—one demon shouted that Jesus was the “Holy One of God.”But the religious leaders—the people who should know better—are so darkened and evil that they now are calling good evil and evil good.
Jesus calmly but very pointedly replies to their outrageous accusation.He says their arguments are completely illogical.If he really is of the devil as he casts out demons, then Satan’s kingdom is crumbling.Satan would then be against himself, and his kingdom has just fallen.So the scribes are really making a stupid and illogical argument.
And then Jesus has stern words for them:He says that all sorts of sins can and will be forgiven.But to blaspheme against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.This passage has troubled many Christians over the centuries.We can fret and wonder, “What does this mean?Does this describe me?Could I sin in an unforgiveable way?Have I done this?What if I do?”
But consider what Jesus says first in vs. 28.He says that all sorts of sins will be forgiven.This is a massive word of grace:All sins can be forgiven through him.This is our hope and joy!If you are a follower of Jesus….you believe in him…then this is the greatest day of your life.Forgiveness from God.You now have a right standing before the Holy Creator.You’ve been taken from enmity with God to friendship.You were lost but now are found.You were blind, but now you see.
But then in vs. 29, Jesus says there is something that will not be forgiven.What is that something?I believean utter rejection of Jesus and the work of the Spirit of God.To say to Jesus, “Not only do I not believe in you, I believe you are so dark and so evil that even the so-called good things you do are actually demonic.”
This is not someone who has some simple doubts about who Jesus is.This is not about someone who gets upset with Jesus over something bad that has happened.This is calling the one and only true God, his Son, and his Holy Spirit to be Satan himself.These religious leaders have witnessed the miraculous, powerful work of Jesus.They have heard his words from heaven.Yet they have persistently, willfully, and completely rejected him.Of this utter, defiant rejection of Jesus, he says there is no forgiveness.
We may ask, “Can this happen to me?Have I committed this eternal, unforgiveable sin?”To someone who is worried they have committed such a sin, your concern shows me that this is not you.The people that Jesus is speaking to have no concern at all over anything Jesus says.They despise him and say he is of Satan.
So when is the point when someone’s defiance is as Jesus describes:“Blaspheming the Holy Spirit,” like these religious leaders said?We don’t know precisely when a moment like that is.But if we have a friend who is persistently defiant against Jesus, even declaring him to be like the devil, we should lovingly urge them and warn them, “Turn to Jesus.Stop fighting him.He is Lord and Judge, yet he kindly offers you life.Do not reject him.”
So let’s zoom out on these two vignettes we’ve just read.
Jesus’ family thinks he is crazy.The religious leaders think he’s demonic.
Why?How could this be?Jesus came to bring life.To set people free.To love them.To make them whole.What is not to love about him?
Yet we are jolted as we consider what his family and these leaders did.And what we do.We turn on him.Doubt him.Ignore him.Hate him.Misunderstand him.Slander him.It reveals the darkness of the human heart and why we so desperately need a merciful Savior.
So how should we respond to Jesus?
First, we should grieve when we and others dismiss God.
We should feel a level of pain when we ignore God.Reject him.Accuse him of evil.Because God Almighty reigns on his throne in all power, glory, and majesty. And he has extraordinary kindness, friendliness, and compassion towards mankind, intent on doing so much good.We see it right here in the Gospel of Mark with Jesus.So when we and others reject and ignore him, our hearts should grieve.We should feel pain.He deserves all glory and honor, but we show disdain and dishonor.It is a shameful moment.
Second, at the same time, we should marvel at God’s patience with us and with this world. We should worship him for his patience.Since Genesis 3, God has been indescribably patient and merciful.And it is best shown by the sending of his Son into this world that already hates him, but the Son came to die in our place.So sin against God should grieve us, and God’s kindness should surprise us.And we should worship him for his marvelous mercy.
Third, some of us here this morning may relate to Jesus all too well in the opposition he faced. We have encountered significant rejection in our lives.We have been mistreated, severely so.Ostracized. Our own family has rejected us.Been cruel to us.The pain of rejection and misunderstanding is profound.The injustice is infuriating.The loneliness and abandonment can be overwhelming.
If that describes you, be comforted to know that Jesus understands you.His own family thought he was crazy.His religious leaders thought he was of the devil.He sympathizes with you better than you know.And so he will comfort you.He will come alongside you.Who better to comfort us than someone who has experienced at the deepest level the pain of rejection and hatred.
In our lostness, loneliness, and darkness, we can be tempted to think God doesn’t care.He doesn’t notice.Doesn’t sympathize.We might even think he’s cruel.Perhaps in our darkest moments we even think like these Jewish scribes, that Jesus is demonic…of the utmost evil.But over and over and over again, God proves himself to be true, righteous, kind, and compassionate.And the ultimate and most glorious proof of this is the Cross of Christ.For on the cross, Jesus experienced the most horrifying rejection the world has ever known, when he cried out on the cross, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
The Father, the Holy One, the Lord, turned his face away from his own beloved, holy Son.Jesus was rejected by the Eternal, Glorious Father.At that moment on the Cross, the Father placed the horrific, dark, demon-inspired sins of the world on his Son’s shoulders.All the shameful, dark evil of you, me, and the rest of humanity was transferred to Jesus.He bore the sins of the world, and the Father’s wrath was poured out on his own Son…all so that you could go free.
Be comforted.Jesus loves you.He will save you.In dark times, we must call this to mind:
Romans 5:8 CSB But God proves his own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
At our worst, ugliest, darkest, most shameful moments, God loved us so much that he gave his Son to die for us.Jesus himself said, “Greater love has no one that this, that one lay down his life for his friends.”(John 15:13.Be comforted.Jesus is surely on your side.
Now let’s finish our passage for this morning.
31 His mother and his brothers came, and standing outside, they sent word to him and called him.
32 A crowd was sitting around him and told him, “Look, your mother, your brothers, and your sisters are outside asking for you.”
33 He replied to them, “Who are my mother and my brothers?”
34 Looking at those sitting in a circle around him, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers!
35 Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.”
This scene is tied to vs. 20-21, that Jesus’ family came to “restrain” him, for he was, in their words, out of his mind.Then the scribes come into the story with their accusations that Jesus is demonic.
And now the scene then flips back to the family.Jesus here is not ignoring his family.He is not saying that his mother and siblings are unimportant.What he is saying is that while bloodline is good, what is most important is faith in him.
Even if you were born into a family with parents who loved Jesus—while that is a great blessing, that bloodline isn’t enough.You need to love Jesus yourself.You are not part of Jesus’ family merely by being born into a family of Christ followers.
The true family of Jesus Christ is anyone….anyone…who follows him.Loves him.Obeys him.Does his will.
To do the will of God is more important than family ties.Typically the will of God and family work together.They are usually not—and perhaps rarely—in conflict with each other.But if they are in conflict, Jesus Christ takes preeminence.He is to be regarded and obeyed FIRST.
So here are two responses to Jesus’ words:
First, the beautiful message here is, Jesus invites us into his family.He calls us to follow him.To believe in him.To walk with him.We need him.He offers life, and this life is found only in him.Let us not follow our own ways.Our own paths.Our own desires.Let us look to Jesus, Lord of heaven and earth, the Holy One of God, the Savior of the world. The Lamb of God who takes away our sin.
Look to him and follow him.
And second, when you do embrace him and follow him, rejoice, for heavenly glory is now yours! Eternal hope now belongs to you!For in Jesus, we have gone from enemies to family.From being outcasts to being intimate.From rejection to acceptance.
If we already follow Christ and believe in him, perhaps we still wonder if our lives really matter.Perhaps we are longing for someone to notice us.Perhaps we feel like a nobody.Insignificant.Unimportant.We feel like the pressure of striving to really be somebody is exhausting our souls.
Jesus offers us something much better.More lasting.Eternal.And the good news is, it’s free.It’s ours.All we need to do is to look to Jesus.To call out his name.To trust him.As he has called us to in these first 3 chapters, we simply follow him.
When we do, the glory of heaven is ours.Forgiveness is ours.The prestigious family name of God’s own Son is ours.
And Jesus loves us as his mother, his brother, and his sister.
Hebrews 2:11–12 CSB For the one who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one Father. That is why Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters, saying: I will proclaim your name to my brothers and sisters; I will sing hymns to you in the congregation.
Jesus has sanctified us…meaning, he has made us holy.And he is not ashamed to call us his own family.
What glory and joy are ours in Christ.
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