No one can enter a strong man's house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man. And then he will plunder his house.

. . . and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed Him. And they went into a house.

Then the multitude came together again, so that they could not so much as eat bread. But when His own people heard about this, they went out to lay hold of Him, for they said, "He is out of His mind."

And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem said, "He has Beelzebub," and, "By the ruler of the demons He casts out demons." So He called them to Himself and said to them in parables: "How can Satan cast out Satan? If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. And if a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand. And if Satan has risen up against himself, and is divided, he cannot stand, but has an end. No one can enter a strong man's house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man. And then he will plunder his house.

"Assuredly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the sons of men, and whatever blasphemies they may utter, but he who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is subject to eternal condemnation" -- because they said, "He has an unclean spirit."

Then His brothers and His mother came, and standing outside they sent to Him, calling Him. And a multitude was sitting around Him; and they said to Him, "Look, Your mother and Your brothers are outside seeking You." But He answered them, saying, "Who is My mother, or My brothers?" And He looked around in a circle at those who sat about Him, and said, "Here are My mother and My brothers! For whoever does the will of God is My brother and My sister and mother."

- Mark 3:19-35

In yesterday's reading, we learned of Jesus' great and spreading fame. People come to Him not just from Galilee but also Judea and Jerusalem and Idumea -- even beyond the Jordan and from Tyre and Sidon. All come to hear Him preach and for healing; He casts out demons as well, and forbids them to speak so that His messianic secret remains unknown. Finally, He appoints Twelve who will be His disciples, that they might be with Him and that He might send them out to preach, and to have power to heal sicknesses and to cast out demons.

. . . and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed Him. And they went into a house. Then the multitude came together again, so that they could not so much as eat bread. But when His own people heard about this, they went out to lay hold of Him, for they said, "He is out of His mind." We see the effects of Jesus fame; those who seek Him simply will not leave Him alone -- so that a private life, as depicted in this text, becomes impossible. "His own people" are His family, His relatives. They, along with most of the rest of the people, have yet to understand His mission and what He is doing.

And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem said, "He has Beelzebub," and, "By the ruler of the demons He casts out demons." Here are yet more responses to the power and publicity of Jesus' mission, His growing fame. While His family says He is out of His mind -- the scribes claim He is in league with demons, and the demonstrations of power against the demons come through the ruler of the demons. Beelzebub (also referred to as Baal) was the prince of "the dung heap" or "the flies" (according to my study bible). This was a god once worshiped by the Philistines in the Old Testament. Here the scribes refer to him as the "ruler of the demons."

"So He called them to Himself and said to them in parables: "How can Satan cast out Satan? If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. And if a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand. And if Satan has risen up against himself, and is divided, he cannot stand, but has an end." Jesus makes a reasonable argument here: why would the "ruler" of the demons diminish the demons' power? Why would this ruler diminish the power of his own kingdom, his own house, and destroy himself?

"No one can enter a strong man's house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man. And then he will plunder his house." Here is the reasonable conclusion: Jesus has the power to bind "the strong man" -- the ruler of demons, the evil one, or Satan, also called the "prince of this world." He is here to bring a kingdom that breaks through into the midst of the bondage of evil. My study bible says, "Demons do not fight against themselves, but are cast out by God's power through the Holy Spirit, whose action signals the present reality of the kingdom." Jesus' acts are signs of the presence of God, whose power is the "stronger" and whose presence is incarnate in the world to free us all and to call us to deeper union.

"Assuredly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the sons of men, and whatever blasphemies they may utter, but he who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is subject to eternal condemnation" -- because they said, "He has an unclean spirit." Here are Jesus' powerful words about the action of the Holy Spirit in the world. To label the action of the Spirit something evil is to blaspheme against the Holy Spirit. We remember that these people who are accusing Jesus of working through demonic power are experts in the Scriptures; they know and have learning of the Holy Spirit. They are the experts who should know better, and to seek spiritual truth. We also have a deepening entry here into the spiritual battle being waged behind all the scenes of the Gospels: we, too, participate in this battle because we have a responsibility for what we know and understand, and also the fruits we bear. Do we have a passion for spiritual truth, or will anything sway us depending on selfish interest? It's an important personal and spiritual question; Christ is here to "take back" what is His, to forge and deepen relationships between human beings and God. How we choose to respond to the action of the Spirit in ourselves and in our lives is significant for all kinds of reasons; for this He has come into the world.

Then His brothers and His mother came, and standing outside they sent to Him, calling Him. And a multitude was sitting around Him; and they said to Him, "Look, Your mother and Your brothers are outside seeking You." But He answered them, saying, "Who is My mother, or My brothers?" And He looked around in a circle at those who sat about Him, and said, "Here are My mother and My brothers! For whoever does the will of God is My brother and My sister and mother." And here we have the response, a deepening understanding of what is happening as Christ shapes and builds His ministry. This is not a condemnation of His mother and brothers or sisters (His kinsfolk), but a deepening affirmation of the power of relationship in His ministry. He is here to claim a kingdom for Himself, a spiritual kingdom that "breaks through" into the world previously in bondage to the "strong man." Those who seek to form relationships with Him take hold of something certain and powerful, loving and merciful, full of power to heal on all levels. Through the power of Father, Son and Spirit, relationships are formed that go beyond all other ties of this world; they are deepened and strengthened through God's love. My study bible calls them, "spiritual relationships which are more valuable than natural ones." Of course, this may include "mother and brother and sister" (we know the choice Jesus' mother made to hear the word of God in her life). Our choices thus become even more deeply important.

So, what does it take to hear this word of God within us and do it? What does it mean to follow the Spirit, to seek to know God and find God's will? First of all, a life of prayer is indispensable to this purpose: personal prayer, no matter what the form, adds us to that connection with God, to the seeking of relationship. There are all kinds of forms of prayer, in liturgy and in private, all are, in my opinion, good. But most important, perhaps, is the notion that we make choices for ourselves. Beyond all kinds of other relationships, nominal and physical, we have the choice in our hearts. What are we going to believe? What are we going to seek? Christ lets us know that His relationship to each one of us is important, and valuable. You are counted as deeply as others; the "very hairs on your head are all numbered" by God. The choice for spiritual truth is essential, the liberation of this kingdom that breaks through imperative. What is your choice today? We are all faced with this choice every moment of our lives. Be His mother and brother and sister and live to those relationships that strengthen and deepen in the power of the Spirit, in God's love.