1. The increasing rejection of Jesus 3:20-35

Mark again returned to the opposition theme (cf. 2:1-3:6). He directed his readers back and forth between Jesus' acceptance on a superficial level by the multitudes, His disciples' growing commitment to Him, and the increasing hostility of the religious leaders. This structural pattern highlights the contrasts between the three groups.

In this section Mark used a chiastic structure to show two different kinds of opposition that Jesus faced, which many of His disciples have faced as well. He used this "sandwich"structure elsewhere too (cf. 5:21-43; 6:7-31; 11:12-26; 14:1-11, 27-52). It focuses attention on the central part of the section, in this case the serious charge that Satan controlled Jesus.

AThe opposition of family 3:20-21

BThe opposition of enemies 3:22-30

A'The opposition of family 3:31-35

 The plan of Jesus' family 3:20-21

The picture the writer painted was of Jesus and his disciples in a house in Capernaum. Jews wanting healing or some other favor from Jesus barged right in the door. There were so many of them that Jesus could not even eat a meal much less get some needed rest. The house was completely full of seekers. Probably more people thronged around outside the building trying to get in the doors and windows. The Servant of the Lord was constantly at work serving.

Jesus' family members heard about His extreme busyness. The Greek term translated "His own people"(NASB, lit. "those with Him") is an idiom meaning His family members, not just His friends.⁹⁸They felt concern for His health. Perhaps they worried that He was not eating properly. They even concluded that His overworked condition had affected His mental stability. They decided to come to Capernaum from Nazareth and take charge of Him for His own welfare. The Greek word kratesai("take custody"or "take charge") elsewhere describes arresting someone (cf. 6:17; 12:12; 14:1, 44, 46, 49, 51). Thus it appears that the best of intentions motivated Jesus' family. However they misread the evidence. He was not too busy nor was He out of His mind (cf. Acts 26:24; 2 Cor. 5:13). He was simply carrying out His Father's will. Sometimes those who have concern for a disciple's welfare apply pressure to depart from God's will. This constitutes opposition, not assistance.

 The unbelief of Jesus' enemies 3:22-30 (cf. Matt. 12:22-37; Luke 11:14-26)

Evidently it was between the time that Jesus' family left Nazareth to take custody of Him and the time they arrived in Capernaum (v. 31) that this incident occurred. Mark's account is shorter than Matthew's and stresses the nature of the mounting hostility of the religious leaders.

3:22 While well-meaning family opponents were coming from Nazareth, which lay to the west, hostile adversaries were moving up from Jerusalem to the south. The scribes (teachers of the law) who constituted an official delegation had concluded that Satan possessed Jesus and gave Him power to exorcize demons. They viewed Jesus as being allied with Satan.

"In the Greek, the name is always Beelzeboul; the familiar Beelzebub' is from the [Latin] Vulgate. Some view the name as a derisive corruption of the title of the god of Ekron, Baal-zebub, the lord of flies,' to make it mean the lord of dung. More probably it means lord of the dwelling, that is, the dwelling of the evil spirits. This agrees with the reference to the strong man's house' in verse 27, as well as Christ's comment in Matthew 10:25, that as the master of the house,' He has been called Beelzebub."⁹⁹

3:23-27 Jesus replied to the charge against Him with parables (cf. Matt. 12:29; Luke 11:21-22). That is, He used comparisons. He pointed out that it was illogical for Him to cast out Satan's agents if He was one of Satan's agents. Satan would then be working against himself. Therefore Jesus must not be one of Satan's agents. Moreover since Jesus was really destroying Satan's work, He must be stronger than Satan (v. 27).

"Jesus occasionally avoids indictment by talking in riddles."¹⁰⁰

3:28-30 Jesus followed His refutation up with a solemn warning. The words "truly I say to you"or "I tell you the truth"occur 13 times in this Gospel, always on Jesus' lips.¹⁰¹It denotes that Jesus was speaking out of His own authority. A comparable expression in the Old Testament is, "As I live, says the Lord."

"In light of the context this [sin] refers to an attitude (not an isolated act or utterance) of defiant hostility toward God that rejects His saving power toward man, expressed in the spirit-empowered person and work of Jesus. It is one's preference for darkness even though he has been exposed to light (cf. John 3:19). Such a persistent attitude of willful unbelief can harden into a condition in which repentance and forgiveness, both mediated by God's Spirit, become impossible. This person is guilty (enochos, liable to, in the grasp') of an eternal sin (sing., the ultimate sin because it remains forever unforgiven; cf. Matt. 12:32). Judas Iscariot (cf. Mark 3:29; 14:43-46) proved the reality of these words."¹⁰²

We should not focus so exclusively on the exception to forgiveness that we fail to appreciate the breadth of forgiveness that Jesus offered here. "All sins"means all classes and types of sins, not all sins without exception. Jesus was not teaching universalism. Blasphemy is a type of sin, namely speech that is hostile, malicious, injurious, and derogatory of God. This was the type of sin the scribes were committing.

The scribes came perilously close to committing an unpardonable sin because they attributed the power of Jesus' exorcisms to Satan rather than to the Holy Spirit.

"Having rejected the testimony of the Father, the Son, and now the Spirit's miraculous authentication, nothing more could be done for the salvation of those religious leaders."¹⁰³

"Those who most particularly should heed the warning of this verse today are the theological teachers and the official leaders of the churches."¹⁰⁴

This saying of Jesus has caused many people great anxiety throughout the history of the church. Many have wondered if they have committed the unpardonable sin. Concern that one may have committed it is a good indication that one probably has not. The way to avoid committing the unpardonable sin is to believe the testimony that the Holy Spirit has given about Jesus in Scripture, namely that He is the Christ (i.e., the divine Messiah, cf. 1 John 5:1).

 The interference of Jesus' family 3:31-35 (cf. Matt. 12:46-50; Luke 8:19-21)

3:31 Mary, along with Jesus' half brothers, finally arrived from Nazareth (cf. vv. 20-21). By inserting Jesus' conflict with the scribes in this story Mark heightened the readers' suspense about the results of Jesus' conflict with His family. Perhaps the house where Jesus was was so full of people that His family could not get in but had to send word to Him that they had arrived. This approach reflects normal family relationships. Jesus' mother and brothers were not being rude but were expecting that Jesus would acknowledge their presence by respectfully coming out to meet them. They wanted to talk to Him privately and to restrain His activity.

3:32-34 The multitude sitting around Jesus evidently consisted of a group of His disciples (v. 34). Jesus' question focused on the quality of relationship with Himself. He meant, Who are the sort of people who are my family? Again Jesus looked around, but this time affectionately (cf. v. 5). He identified His disciples as those closest to Him. This would have been a startling statement to Jesus' hearers because the Jews valued natural family relationships highly. Jesus was not repudiating family relationships (cf. 7:10-13). He was teaching the priority of spiritual over natural relationships.

3:35 Those who do God's will, not just those who profess discipleship, constitute Jesus' spiritual family. The terms "brother and sister and mother"are figurative. "Father"is absent because Jesus had only one spiritual Father. His spiritual mothers were those believing disciples who sustained Him in motherly ways.

Jesus claimed the authority to redefine motherhood and sibling relationships according to doing God's will rather than blood lineage (cf. 6:1-6).¹⁰⁵

This pericope should be a great encouragement to any disciple who is suffering persecution for his or her faith. Such disciples were Mark's original readers. Some disciples suffer broken family relationships and even ostracism because of their commitment to do God's will. Some experience intense opposition from unbelievers who try to make their good works look bad. One reward for such sacrifices is intimate relationship with Jesus Christ.