How can Satan cast out Satan?

 

 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 3:19b–35 

 

Yesterday we read that, as the open hostility of the authorities has begun to grow (Mark 3:6), Jesus withdrew with His disciples to the sea.  And a great multitude from Galilee followed Him, and from Judea and Jerusalem and Idumea and beyond the Jordan; and those from Tyre and Sidon, a great multitude, when they heard how many things He was doing, came to Him.  So He told His disciples that a small boat should be kept ready for Him because of the multitude, lest they should crush Him.  For He healed many, so that as many as had afflictions pressed about Him to touch Him.  And the unclean spirits, whenever they saw Him, fell down before Him and cried out, saying, "You are the Son of God."  But He sternly warned them that they should not make Him known.  And He went up on the mountain and called to Him those He Himself wanted.  And they came to Him.  Then He appointed twelve, 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:  Simon, to whom He gave the name Peter; James the son of Zebedee and John the brother of James, to whom He gave the name Boanerges, that is, "Sons of Thunder"; Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Cananite; 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."  There are some who have commented that all of the attention Jesus is drawing is focusing unwanted public scrutiny on the family, and is to some extent scandalous in and of itself.  Perhaps they desire simply to have Him withdraw from so much public attention, and especially the by now open hostility of the religious authorities, who plot together with the Herodians (supporters of Herod's dynasty which rules for Rome) to destroy Him.  Perhaps they're making excuses for Him for the same reason.  Additionally, as St. John's Gospel tells us, in the midst of His public ministry His brothers (extended kin or perhaps stepbrothers from an earlier marriage of St. Joseph) also did not believe in Him (John 7:1-5).

 

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."  Beelzebub was a name used by the Jews for the god Baal. In Canaanite practice, Baal was used to mean "lord" and so it's based on a name for the local god of a particular city.  This name is likely meant to ridicule this god worshiped by the Philistines (2 Kings 1:2-16).  It means prince of "the dung heap" or lord of "the flies."  Here, this god is called ruler of the demons.  My study Bible says that the impossibility of demons fighting against themselves illustrates the irrational pride and envy of the Pharisees in their opposition to Jesus.  

 

 "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."  My study Bible identifies blasphemy against the Holy Spirit as blasphemy against the divine activity of the Spirit; that is, blasphemy against pure goodness.  These religious authorities, thoroughly versed in Scripture, know well the divine activity of the Spirit, and this type of blasphemy will not be forgiven because it comes from a willful hardness of heart and a refusal to accept God's mercy.  Moreover, my study Bible notes that Church Fathers are very clear that blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is not an "unforgivable sin and neither does Jesus call it "unforgivable."  According to St. John Chrysostom, blasphemy against the Holy Spirit would be forgivable if a person were to repent of it.  Christ makes this declaration, my study Bible says, knowing that those who blaspheme the Spirit are calling pure, divine goodness "evil," and they are beyond repentance by their own choice.

 

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."  My study Bible comments that Christ's relatives have not yet understood His identity and mission.  Jesus points to a spiritual family based on obedience to the will of God.  Here my study Bible further explains that in Jewish usage, brother might indicate any number of relations.  In the Scriptures, Abraham called his nephew Lot "brother" (Genesis 14:14); Boaz spoke of his cousin Elimelech as his brother in Ruth 4:3; and Joab called his cousin Amasa "brother" (2 Samuel 20:9).  In Christian tradition and understanding, Jesus Himself had no blood brothers; Mary had only one Son.  These brothers mentioned here (as we said above) are either stepbrothers (sons of Joseph by a previous marriage), or cousins.  When Jesus commits His mother to the care of John at the Cross (John 19:25-27) it must reasonably be understood that this would have been unthinkable in the context of contemporaneous culture if Mary had other children to care for her.  

 

 Jesus asks, "How can Satan cast out Satan?"  He frames this question within an image of competing kingdoms and the warfare between them.  He says, " 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."  Here, "house" indicates a dynasty, a lineage, a ruling family, even an empire.  Everything within the sphere of that "house" belongs to it.  We should take this very seriously that Jesus frames the action of Satan in this way, for He gives us a picture of a spiritual battle that is always going on, and in so doing, makes a mockery out of the accusation that He casts out demons (practices exorcism) by the power of demons, or the power of Satan.  He is the "stronger man" in the image of His parable about kingdoms and strong men.  He is the one who can bind and plunder Satan's goods and his house.  This will be the effect of the Cross, of Christ's Passion, death, and Resurrection; His ministry is one of liberation and deliverance for humankind, and for the whole of creation.  I watched an interesting video on making the sign of the Cross, by Fr. Mesrop Ash, a priest of the Armenian Apostolic Church (video link here).  Father Mesrop makes it clear that for our earliest Christian ancestors, the sign of the Cross was a kind of seal.  Seals have always been associated with "houses," as in the sense of a dynasty or reigning family.  When we make this sign upon ourselves, we're sealing ourselves with the sign of Christ, that we are Christians, and that we belong to Him and to His house.  We should consider carefully in this light Christ's words in today's reading, as we think of ruling houses, lineage, and seals:  "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."  When we make the sign of the Cross over ourselves, we seal ourselves with His seal, with the seal of our faith, His house, as Christians.  A "sign" is also in traditional and historical use another name for a flag, as in the flag of a nation, a clan, a house, or ruling dynasty.  Armies go to war under particular flags for this reason.  A flag works in the same way that a seal does, to indicate that a person or any other thing belongs to that house, clan, country, ruling government.  We are of the kingdom of Christ, and in today's reading, it is Jesus Himself who gives us clear indication just how important it is that we identify or seal ourselves with a particular sign of a particular ruling  power.  We belong to His house, and His house is opposed and "throws out" the troops of Satan, and plunders his goods, taking back souls and freeing them.  Let us remember with what seal we seal ourselves, and find meaning in being His family, under the rule and protection of His house.

 

 

 

By the ruler of the demons He casts out demons

 

 And they went into the 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 3:19b–35 

 

Yesterday, we read that Jesus withdrew with His disciples to the sea, after a confrontation with the Pharisees.  And a great multitude from Galilee followed Him, and from Judea and Jerusalem and Idumea and beyond the Jordan; and those from Tyre and Sidon, a great multitude, when they heard how many things He was doing, came to Him.  So He told His disciples that a small boat should be kept ready for Him because of the multitude, lest they should crush Him.  For He healed many, so that as many as had afflictions pressed about Him to touch Him.  And the unclean spirits, whenever they saw Him, fell down before Him and cried out, saying, "You are the Son of God."  But He sternly warned them that they should not make Him known.  And He went up on the mountain and called to Him those He Himself wanted.  And they came to Him.  Then He appointed twelve, that they might be with Him and that He might send the out to preach, and to have power to heal sicknesses and to cast out demons:  Simon, to whom He gave the name Peter; James the son of Zebedee and John the brother of James, to whom He gave the name Boanerges, that is, "Sons of Thunder"; Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Cananite; and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed Him.  

 

  And they went into the 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."  By now Christ's ministry has expanded so that a "great multitude" follows Him.  His popularity has spread all around not only His home territory but has expanded beyond that.  Perhaps because of the opposition of the Pharisees and scribes, who now plot against Him, His family tries to claim Him for safety, saying that He is out of His mind.  In some sense, in a culture that elevated modesty as a virtue one could say there is a type of scandalous notoriety for the family in all the public attention.

 

  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.  Beelzebub was a name used by the Jews to ridicule the worship of the pagan god Baal.  Typical in places where Baal was worshiped (widely in this region of the Middle East at that time), altars and place names heralding Baal were myriad.  Baal means "lord" or "prince," and this particular name means prince of "the dung heap" or lord of "the flies."  Baal was a god worshiped by the Philistines (2 Kings 1:2-16).  Here he is called ruler of the demons.   My study Bible comments that the impossibility of demons fighting against themselves illustrates the irrational pride and envy of the Pharisees in their opposition to Jesus.  

 

 "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."  My study Bible explains that blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is blasphemy against the divine activity of the Spirit, blasphemy against pure goodness.  A sin against the Son of Man is more easily forgiven because the Jews did not know much about Christ.  But blasphemy against the Spirit, whose divine activity was known from the Old Testament, will not be forgiven because it comes from a willful hardness of heart and a refusal to accept God's mercy.  In patristic commentary, it's clear that blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is not an "unforgivable sin"; nor does Christ ever call it "unforgivable."  According to St. John Chrysostom, blasphemy against the Holy Spirit would be forgivable if a person were to repent of it.  Jesus makes such a declaration here knowing that those who blaspheme the Spirit are calling pure, divine goodness "evil," and they are beyond repentance by their own choice.  

 

 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."   My study Bible comments that Christ's relatives have not yet understood His identity and mission.  He points to a spiritual family which is based on obedience to the will of God.  In Jewish usage of the time, and across the Middle East today, brother may indicate any number of relations.  Abram called his nephew Lot "brother"; Boaz spoke of his cousin Elimelech as his "brother"; and Joab called his cousin Amasa "brother" (Genesis 14:14; Ruth 4:3; 2 Samuel 20:9).  As for Christ Himself, He had no blood brothers, for Mary had but one Son:  Jesus.  These brothers who are mentioned were either stepbrothers (that is, sons of Joseph by a previous marriage), or cousins.  My study Bible cites Jesus committing His mother to the care of St. John at the Cross (John 19:25-27), which would have been unthinkable if Mary had had other children to care for her.  

In today's reading, Jesus says that he who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is subject to eternal condemnation.  Let us remember that this is in response to the scribes who came down from Jerusalem, who claimed that Jesus cast out demons by the ruler of demons.  My study Bible states that to blaspheme the Holy Spirit is to label the good as evil.  In other words, what Jesus does by the power of the Holy Spirit, in effect casting out demons and healing, is blasphemed by calling it demonic or saying that His power is from the ruler of the demons.  In the tradition of the Bible, Satan is known as the accuser, the one who accuses people before God.  The Holy Spirit, by contrast, is called the Paraklete, which can mean "counselor," or more literally the one who comes when called to be by one's side.  This word in Greek was the common word for what we'd now understand as a lawyer, someone to help us present a defense.  But such work -- to call pure good "evil" -- goes beyond mere accusation and into a frame of mind that is itself very evil.  To do so knowingly is to pervert the truth, to participate in a very heinous lie, and to seek to manipulate a circumstance or appearance in order to, in fact, harm or disable the good.  This  in itself is likely a far worse intent than we'd like to contemplate.  But, unfortunately, not all motivations are good.  In this case, Jesus is growing many followers, He speaks with His own authority, and is now a well-known figure who has opposed the scribes and the Pharisees in some public contexts.  In healing a man with a withered hand on the Sabbath, Jesus not only openly opposed these important figures from the religious establishment, but He showed them up openly and spectacularly by healing the man in clear opposition to them.  In Wednesday's reading, we were told that the Pharisees went out and immediately plotted with the Herodians against Him, how they might destroy Him.  (The Herodians are those who collaborate and support the Herodian dynasty, which ruled for Rome.)  So to call good "evil" is a type of ultimate manipulation, and it's akin in some sense to seeking to kill the good.  It's a deliberate lie that invokes and uses the concept of truth to pervert the truth, for to make such an accusation assumes posing as both true and good.  When we consider Christ's attitude toward hypocrisy, we begin to understand the deeply perverse nature of this type of blasphemy, and how much damage is done to those who might be persuaded, or the innocent and naive who would follow.  To blaspheme the Holy Spirit is to hinder the good in the world, to help that which opposes God, opposes Christ.  In today's reading, Jesus also speaks of those whom He calls His brother and sister and mother -- that these are whoever does the will of God.  In pondering Christ's words, we must consider that the One who speaks isn't simply Jesus the human being, but also the divine Christ, the Creator, the Lord.  Today's reading asks us to think about the creation of the world, and its purpose.  In reading the Bible, we begin with Genesis, in which God creates the cosmos, all created things seen and unseen, including us.  In the creation story, Adam and Eve are set in a walled garden (Eden), a place where they commune freely with God, and given a purpose to be "like" God in also bringing the world out of chaos, to put into order and to fill with creation.  In Genesis 1:28, we read, "Then God blessed them, and God said to them, 'Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.' "  But to blaspheme the Spirit is to seek to subvert this essential will of God, not only to act in opposition to it, but to call God's works and God's grace working in us "evil."  One must consider Christ's mission of salvation, and our cooperation with that mission in this context, for the world was not created without purpose or intention. Will we cooperate with grace and seek God's will for ourselves?  Or will we oppose it?  The Pharisees do so today with selfish motives, and Jesus names clearly what they are doing.  

 

 

 

 

 

Here are My mother and My brothers! For whoever does the will of God is My brother and My sister and mother

 

 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 3:19b-35 

 

Yesterday we read that, after a confrontation with the Pharisees, Jesus withdrew with His disciples to the sea.  And a great multitude from Galilee followed Him, and from Judea and Jerusalem and Idumea and beyond the Jordan; and those from Tyre and Sidon, a great multitude, when they heard how many things He was doing, came to Him.  So He told His disciples that a small boat should be kept ready for Him because of the multitude, lest they should crush Him.  For He healed many, so that as many as had afflictions pressed about Him to touch Him.  And the unclean spirits, whenever they saw Him, fell down before Him and cried out, saying, "You are the Son of God."  But He sternly warned them that they should not make Him known.  And He went up on the mountain and called to Him those He Himself wanted.  And they came to Him.  Then He appointed twelve, 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:  Simon, to whom He gave the name Peter; James the son of Zebedee and John the brother of James, to whom He gave the name Boanerges, that is, "Sons of Thunder"; Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Cananite; 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."  Beelzebub was a name given by the Jews indicating Baal, a god worshiped by the Philistines (2 Kings 1:2-16).  Across the Middle and Near East, various peoples worshiped Baal (meaning "Lord"), often at varied shrines with particular dedication names to the god.  In this case, "Beelzebub" is a form of dedication name given in ridicule by the Jews, as it means prince of the "dung heap," or in another sense, lord of "the flies."  For the Jews, these gods in reality were demons, and here this god worshiped in so many places is called ruler of the demons, and they accuse Christ of working through his demonic power.  But Jesus turns the tables with a very perfect expression of the impossibility of demons fighting against themselves, which my study Bible says illustrates the irrational pride and envy of the Pharisees in their opposition to Jesus.  For He is the stronger man, who binds the strong man, Satan.

"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."  My study Bible comments that blasphemy against the Holy Spirit means blasphemy against the divine activity of the Spirit; that is, blasphemy against pure goodness.  He says this because the scribes attribute the gracious miracles, healings, and casting out of demons to Beelzebub, whom they call the ruler of the demons.  The activities of the Holy Spirit were already well known among the Jews from the Old Testament Scriptures, and so this misattribution to forces of evil comes from a willful hardness of heart and a refusal to accept God's mercy.  However, my study Bible adds that the patristic commentary is clear that blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is not an "unforgivable sin" and neither does Jesus call it "unforgivable."  According to St. John Chrysostom, blasphemy against the Holy Spirit would be forgivable if a person were to repent of it.  My study Bible explains that Christ makes this declaration knowing that those who blaspheme the Spirit are calling pure, divine goodness "evil," and that they are beyond repentance by their own choice.  

 

 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."  Christ's relatives, my study Bible comments, have not yet understood His identity and mission.  Hence, further up, we hear that "His own people . . . went out to lay hold of Him, for they said, "He is out of His mind."  Perhaps they are simply fearful that He has by now drawn so much attention to Himself, including hostility from both the religious and state authorities.  But here even His close family comes to speak with Him, His brothers (likely stepbrothers or cousins) and His mother.  The people who surround Him in a circle are those who aspire to be disciples, or learners.  (We can observe this in the story of Martha and Mary, in which Mary joined with those who "sat at Jesus' feet and heard His word"; see Luke 10:38-42.)  Jesus, however, responds by pointing to a spiritual family, based on obedience to the will of God the Father.

Jesus' notion of a spiritual family is important.  If we look back at our lives, we might be surprised to learn that we can perceive a thread running through them based upon the influence of the Holy Spirit at work.  There is a subtlety to this sort of experience through time that more or less defies absolute description, and nevertheless in hindsight we might often find ourselves surprised to perceive that it was there.  The Holy Spirit, and the actions of the Spirit in the world, seem to tie us to things that defy normal anticipation of coincidence or happenstance, making us a part of connection that leads us to deeper insight and to further conviction in our faith.  This, by way of understanding how the Spirit works among us, is a way to see relationship formed, a family based on obedience to the will of God.  Once we begin to take seriously our faith, and to sincerely seek to know the will of God and to follow that calling, we might be shocked to find the difference in our lives between the very secular concepts of friendship and even family relationship, and the particular things that happen in the community of our faith.  This extends even to a growing understanding of prayer, and of that "great cloud of witnesses" about which St. Paul wrote, even to the saints with whom we pray and upon whom we can call for assistance in prayer, just as we would with our fellow believers in our Church whom we know.  In effect, Jesus calls us into family under a relationship with God Our Father in heaven, and from there we derive a sense of relatedness leading to a sense of family.  While our parents and other relations may always hold a particular place in our lives to which a certain respect or honor is due, the depth of the heart to which Christ calls us in faith operates in surprising and transcendent ways, calling upon a loyalty that a secular life can't necessarily understand nor perceive.  It is the depth of Christ's love working in us that may come as surprising, for it defies expectations, and renders us loyal to something not understood in a conventional sense.  Indeed, it is Christ here who calls us into this relationship, and we can even read His words as proclaiming to us that we can join His family, as brother and sister and mother, for all those who seek to do the will of God become one of His family based on that depth of relationship of obedience to God the Father.  For those of us who seek this way of life can be certain of a profound journey in this place of discipleship, like those who sit at His feet in today's reading.  Our reading today begins with the story of those who claim that Christ's power comes from the demons, but we know where this depth of power comes that can defeat even "the strong man" who is also called "the prince" or "ruler of this world" (John 14:30; Ephesians 2:2).  For the reality of God surpasses and transcends all things, even those to whom we feel the closest in life on worldly terms.  Let us also seek God's will and do it.  For it is not simply those who listen, but whoever does the will of God whom Jesus claims as His family.  

How can Satan cast out Satan?

 

 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 3:19b–35 

 

Yesterday we read that, after a confrontation with the Pharisees (who then begin to plot against Him), Jesus withdrew with His disciples to the sea.  And a great multitude from Galilee followed Him, and from Judea and Jerusalem and Idumea and beyond the Jordan; and those from Tyre and Sidon, a great multitude, when they heard how many things He was doing, came to Him.  So He told His disciples that a small boat should be kept ready for Him because of the multitude, lest they should crush Him.  For He healed many, so that as many as had afflictions pressed about Him to touch Him.  And the unclean spirits, whenever they saw Him, fell down before Him and cried out, saying, "You are the Son of God."  But He sternly warned them that they should not make Him known.  And He went up on the mountain and called to Him those He Himself wanted.  And they came to Him.  Then He appointed twelve, 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:  Simon, to whom He gave the name Peter; James the son of Zebedee and John the brother of James, to whom He gave the name Boanerges, that is, "Sons of Thunder"; Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Cananite; 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."   Beelzebub was a term used by the Jews as a form of ridicule of the God Baal, worshiped by the Philistines, and indeed in many places in the ancient Near East.  When Israel fell into idolatry, it was significantly to worship Baal.  Here the scribes call him the ruler of the demons.  Beelzebub is translated as prince of "the dung heap" or lord of "the flies" (2 Kings 1:2-16).

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."  My study Bible comments that the impossibility of demons fighting against themselves illustrates the irrational pride and envy of the Pharisees in their opposition to Jesus.

"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."  My study Bible says that blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is blasphemy against the divine activity of the Spirit; that is, blasphemy against pure goodness.  This is what it is to claim that the work of the Holy Spirit is the work of demons.   Those who accuse Christ of working by the power of demons know well the divine activity of the Holy Spirit from the Old Testament, and therefore are engaging in a willful hardness of heart and a refusal to accept God's mercy.  Moreover, exorcism was already commonly practiced in Judaism (see Matthew 12:27).  My study Bible adds that in patristic commentary it is clear that blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is not an "unforgivable sin" and neither does Jesus call it so.  St. John Chrysostom teaches that blasphemy against the Holy Spirit would be forgivable if a person were to repent of it.  My study Bible adds that Jesus makes this declaration knowing that those who blaspheme against the Spirit are calling pure, divine goodness "evil," and that they are beyond repentance through their own choice.

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."   My study Bible comments that Christ's relatives have not yet understood His identity and mission.  He points to a spiritual family based on obedience to the will of God.   My study Bible reminds us that in Jewish usage, brothers can indicate any number of relations.  Abram called his nephew Lot "brother" (Genesis 14:14); Boaz spoke of his cousin Elimelech as his "brother" (Ruth 4:3); and Joab called his cousin Amasa "brother (2 Samuel 20:9).  Still today across the Middle East, relations such as cousins are called "brothers."  Christ Himself had no blood brothers, as Mary had only one Son, Jesus.  Therefore these brothers mentioned here are cousins or possibly stepbrothers who are sons of Joseph by an earlier marriage.  When Jesus commits His mother to the care of the apostle John at the Cross (John 19:25-27), this is an act which would have been unthinkable if she had other children to care for her. 

We might be surprised that Jesus' relatives come to get Him because the crowds have grown so large who come to see Him, or that the house was so crowded that they could not so much as eat bread.   Even more surprising is to hear that they claim He is out of His mind.   But it might not seem so strange to us in the context of Christ's time and place, rather than our own.  We live in a time when all kinds of people seek to be famous for all kinds of reasons, and especially through the use of social media which is available to so many.  But in Christ's time this was not so.  Even renown itself was potentially scandalous.  Moreover, Jesus has no high position sanctioned in the society.  He is not a member of the Sanhedrin, nor a scribe, nor a priest or Pharisee.  It is also a time of Roman rule of Israel, in which any sort of activity that gathers a large group is going to be suspect, especially because there are those who agitate for violent overthrow of Roman rule.  Perhaps even more importantly, we've just been told (in Saturday's reading) that now the Pharisees have begun to plot against Him -- together with the Herodians (those who support Roman rule through the royal family of Herod) they now seek to destroy Him.  So perhaps His family considers that they have many reasons to try to make excuses for His ministry, to cover His behavior, to seek to speak to Him privately away from the crowds who follow Him.  After all, John's Gospel explicitly tells us that mid-point in His ministry, "even His brothers did not believe in Him" (see John 7:1-5).  So we're left to ponder here what it is like for Christ in His ministry to have so much opposition -- even among His relatives who fear scandal and the possible threats from such negative attention.  In this context comes also spiritual opposition for us to note in the demonic forces which Jesus casts out, for His spiritual authority and power even extends over them.  It is in this context that we can view Christ's words about blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, because it is important to understand the nature of the world, and the opposition to God that has always been a part of the story of the people of God.  The example of the prophets of old remains important to us, as it was important to Christ.  In all four Gospels we read that Jesus teaches that a prophet has no honor in his own country (Matthew 13:57,Mark 6:4,Luke 4:24; John 4:44).  St. Paul writes about the opposition the gospel faces in the world: "For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places" (Ephesians 6:12).  Jesus teaches us that in the world, we will have tribulation, but He has overcome the world (John 16:33).   Let us note all the opposition to Christ, on so many levels -- spiritual, worldly, from the religious authorities, even among His own family members who do not believe.  For we also, as He has promised, may expect tribulation and opposition to our faith in the world.  But this is part of the journey and the lives of the saints who have followed throughout the history of the Church.  Let us be those who follow in their footsteps, and seek His way -- His path -- for how we go through the world.  In today's reading, Jesus asks the question, "How can Satan cast out Satan?"  And the answer is, clearly, that he cannot.  Only Christ can do this.  Let us consider the reality of opposition of the "spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places" and how this continues to be present in our world in its effects and various forms.   Let us understand what the journey asks of us, for we all meet Him in His glory at the Cross and in His Resurrection.

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 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 3:19b-35 

 

Yesterday we read that Jesus withdrew with His disciples to the sea.  And a great multitude from Galilee followed Him, and from Judea and Jerusalem and Idumea and beyond the Jordan; and those from Tyre and Sidon, a great multitude, when they heard how many things He was doing, came to Him.  So He told His disciples that a small boat should be kept ready for Him because of the multitude, lest they should crush Him.  For He healed many, so that as many as had afflictions pressed about Him to touch Him.  And the unclean spirits, whenever they saw Him, fell down before Him and cried out, saying, "You are the Son of God."  But He sternly warned them that they should not make Him known.  And He went up on the mountain and called to Him those He Himself wanted.  And they came to Him.  Then He appointed twelve, 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:  Simon, to whom He gave the name Peter; James the son of Zebedee and John the brother of James, to whom He gave the name Boanerges, that is, "Sons of Thunder"; Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Cananite; 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."   One thing we must notice about our recent readings is that so many people now follow Christ that He has drawn the attention of the religious leaders, who now plot against Him with the followers of Herod's court (see Thursday's reading).  This means that the powerful people who rule Galilee, where Christ's family lives in the town of Nazareth, are now helping to plot against Him.  So His extended family (His own people) are very likely justly frightened of this scrutiny.  Moreover, we're told in John's Gospel, speaking of extended family, that "even His own brothers did not believe in Him" (John 7:5).  At this stage, they likely come for Him as they are frightened for Him, and so want to draw Him out of the public eye and bring Him back home.  To feign insanity in order to avoid persecution is something familiar in the Scriptures (see 1 Samuel 21:12-15, which David did so), and perhaps a way they think He will not be held responsible.

And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem said, "He has Beelzebub," and, "By the ruler of the demons He casts out demons."  Here we're given to understand that there are scribes who've come down from Jerusalem, the center of religious and community rule of Israel, perhaps particularly for the purpose of observing Christ's ministry -- another thing which would no doubt fuel the fears of Christ's family.  The scribes pronounce Jesus to be possessed by Beelzebub, and claim that it is by the ruler of the demons He casts out demons.  My study Bible explains that Beelzebub, or Baal, was the prince of "the dung heap" or lord of "the flies" -- a god worshiped by the Philistines (2 Kings 1:2-16).  Here the scribes from Jerusalem refer to him  as the ruler of the demons.  In other words, Satan.

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."  My study Bible comments that the impossibility here illustrated by Christ of demons fighting against themselves shows the irrational pride and envy of the scribes and Pharisees in their opposition to Jesus.  Jesus refutes both the implication that He is out of His mind, and that He works through demons, and goes forward more deeply into declaring Himself:  He is indeed the stronger man, who binds the strong man (Satan) and will plunder his house.  Jesus has come to claim and to redeem a world, to bind Satan and plunder his house -- to claim the souls held there.

"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."   My study Bible explains that blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is blasphemy against the divine activity of the Spirit.  That is, it is blasphemy against pure goodness.  The divine activity of the Spirit is something known, particularly to these experts in the religion, because it is fully expressed throughout the Old Testament.  Therefore, such blasphemy is not forgiven as it comes from a  willful hardness of heart and a refusal to accept God's mercy.  According to patristic commentary, blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is not an "unforgivable sin" and neither does Jesus ever call it "unforgivable."  According to St. John Chrysostom, blasphemy against the Holy Spirit would be forgivable if a person were to repent of it.  My study Bible comments that Jesus makes this declaration knowing that those who blaspheme the Spirit are calling pure, divine goodness "evil," and are beyond repentance by their own choice.

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."  My study Bible comments (echoing John's Gospel as noted above) that Christ's relatives have not yet understood His identity and mission.  There is no doubt they are likely responding to the scrutiny and plots against Him by the religious leaders, and are particularly alarmed by the scribes pronouncing Him to be working through the ruler of the demons.  And again, confronted with their fears, He goes beyond even this immediate concern of family, and asserts what is a greater family -- one which is based on obedience to the will of God.  In Jewish usage, my study Bible explains, brother can indicate any number of relations.  Abram called his nephew Lot "brother" (Genesis 14:14); Boaz spoke of his cousin Elimelech as his "brother" (Ruth 4:3); and Joab called his cousin Amasa "brother" (2 Samuel 20:9).  Christ Himself had no blood brothers, as Mary had but one Son:  Jesus.  The brothers mentioned here are therefore either stepbrothers, sons of Joseph by a previous marriage, or cousins.  Indeed, at the Cross Jesus commits the care of His mother to John His disciple (John 19:25-27).  This would have been culturally unthinkable if Mary had other children to care for her.

In a commentary on John, St. Augustine writes of Jesus' mother Mary:  "She did the Father’s will. It was this in her that the Lord magnified, not merely that her flesh gave birth to flesh.… When he said, "Blessed are they who hear the Word of God and keep it," He was in effect saying: "My mother whom you have called blessed is blessed for the reason that she keeps the Word of God, not that the Word was made flesh in her and dwelt among us, but that she keeps the very Word of God through which she was made and which was made flesh in her."  Elsewhere he writes, "Mary is more blessed in receiving the faith of Christ than in conceiving the flesh of Christ," and moreover that "her nearness as a mother would have been little help for her salvation if she had not borne Christ in her heart in a more blessed manner than in the flesh."  Perhaps the greatest testimony to Mary's devout character and faith in the will of God is her simple response to the Angel Gabriel at the Annunciation of the birth of Christ (Luke 1:26-38): "Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word."   Through St. John's care of Christ's mother, we know that she was indeed a close member of the community of the apostles and the faithful.  The fact that she was at the Cross tells us all we need to know about her dedication to her Son and to His ministry.   So, when Christ teaches that "whoever does the will of God is My brother and My sister and mother," then we must assume that His mother is included in that greater spiritual family that Christ has come to build up in the world, those who love the goodness of God and the working of the Holy Spirit.  From the earliest times of the Church, the veneration of Mary as saint comes from this understanding.  Indeed, right from the beginning, Mary and Jesus' earthly guardian, St. Joseph, sheltered Him from persecution and cared for Him as One special to God (see Matthew 2:13-23).  This makes Mary one whose devotion to God is integral to her love of her Son and her role as Mother.  In the history of the Church, she is the one who becomes Mother for millions, as she is known and remembered through those asking for prayers as one who turns no one away, whose compassion may be invoked for intercession, just as we would ask the prayers of kind people in our lives.  In the history of the Church Mary has been given many names for the various kinds of intercession people have experienced through prayer.  It is intriguing to consider how much of Christ's human character was learned from His mother.  We know through Christ of God's love and compassion, but the special woman who could fill this role as mother to Christ must also have had her own quality of insight, compassion, tenderness, and understanding.  We also know of her suffering for love of her Son, and for her faith in God.  So the Church has seen in her through the ages.  Let us also understand the significance of Christ's words, for He points to a family created in and through the Holy Spirit, even as Jesus was born to Mary through the Holy Spirit.  He calls us to this family, to His brother and sister and mother.  It is in that family where we may also experience Mary as Mother, among all the other brothers, sisters, and even mothers we will find there.

 

 

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 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 3:19b-35

Yesterday we read that after a confrontation with the Pharisees, who now plot to destroy Him,  Jesus withdrew with His disciples to the sea.  And a great multitude from Galilee followed Him, and from Judea and Jerusalem and Idumea and beyond the Jordan; and those from Tyre and Sidon, a great multitude, when they heard how many things He was doing, came to Him.  So He told His disciples that a small boat should be kept ready for Him because of the multitude, lest they should crush Him.  For He healed many, so that as many as had afflictions pressed about Him to touch Him.  And the unclean spirits, whenever they saw Him, fell down before Him and cried out, saying, "You are the Son of God."  But He sternly warned them that they should not make Him known.  And He went up on the mountain and called to Him those He Himself wanted.  And they came to Him.  Then He appointed twelve, 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:  Simon, to whom He gave the name Peter; James the son of Zebedee and John the brother of James, to whom He gave the name Boanerges, that is, "Sons of Thunder"; Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, Thaddeus, Simon the Cananite; 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."  Jesus' own people are extended relations from Nazareth.   Here they have heard of His ministry and decided that He has drawn so much attention and is causing such a stir -- including what is now a dangerous and deliberate open conflict with the ruling authorities -- that He is out of His mind.  Perhaps both for what they see as His good, and also for unwanted attention which may now be focused on them, they wish to bring Him back out of the spotlight of widespread public attention.  Beelzebub was another name for the Philistine god Baal (2 Kings 1:2-16).  It was used sardonically by the Jews as a title, meaning prince of "the dung heap" or lord of "the flies."  Here the scribes call him the ruler of the demons.  Jesus responds with the perfect parable of a kingdom divided against itself, illustrating the irrational nature of the charges made against Him.  Importantly, He casts Himself as the "stronger man" who is able to bind Satan, and 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."  My study bible calls blasphemy against the Holy Spirit blasphemy against the divine activity of the Spirit.  That is, blasphemy against pure goodness.   As these men (the scribes who said that By the ruler of the demons He casts out demons) are experts in Scripture and know the divine activity of the Holy Spirit from the Old Testament, their statement comes from a deliberate hardness of heart, a willful refusal to accept God's mercy.  But by tradition we understand that blasphemy is not an "unforgivable sin" and neither does Jesus call it such.  St. John Chrysostom comments that blasphemy against the Holy Spirit would be forgivable if a person were to repent of it.  Christ makes this declaration knowing that those who blaspheme the Spirit are saying that pure, divine goodness is "evil" -- and that by their own choice they are unrepentant and will remain so.

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."  Now His mother and brothers (that is, close male relatives such as step-brothers by an earlier marriage of Joseph, or cousins) come to Him to seek Him out, no doubt reflect the concerns noted earlier in the reading by Mark.  My study bible says that His relatives have not yet understood His identity and mission.  Jesus does not directly reject His relatives, but instead points to an expanded spiritual family, based on the will of My Father.  In this way, He also offers an understanding of His ministry and calling, distressing as it may be to His extended family from Nazareth.

Today's reading gives us a picture of the level of disturbance that Christ's ministry is creating.  Not only have the scribes come down from Jerusalem specifically to claim that By the ruler of the demons He casts out demons, but that He also works through a god of their enemies the Philistines.  It's no small matter -- as of course, we understand from the final trial which will lead to His crucifixion -- to claim such a sort of blasphemy.  We already know that the Pharisees, with whom the scribes work closely, are plotting with the Herodians (followers of Herod, who is tetrarch of Galilee) to destroy Jesus, from yesterday's reading, above.  So the danger is very real.  There's also enough of a threat that His family and extended relations from Nazareth have come to find Him and seek most likely to call Him back home, so that He will cease His travels and the spread of His fame throughout the Jewish communities of Israel and the surrounding Gentile territories.  But none of this is going to happen.  From the beginning, Christ's ministry has been anything but reserved or held back.  Instead, Mark repeatedly uses the word "immediately" to describe the events which happen like little explosions bursting in upon the communities of Israel and into the world.   In this understanding of Christ's manifestation into the world through His public ministry, we see, as He says, the work of the Holy Spirit in the world.  It is rattling all kinds of assumptions and understanding, shaking up the authorities simply through revelation of authority through Christ.  Everybody seems to be going after Jesus, clamoring to see Him, to touch Him, to be healed by Him, to hear what He says.  The religious authorities have been now directly challenged by His healing on the Sabbath of the man with a withered hand, and His declaration to them that the Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath.  Here in today's reading He declares His authority even over Satan, whom He has the power to bind.  All of these things are challenges to the established structure of the society and the faith, even directly and openly.  Christ is direct and straightforward about them.  He doesn't beat about the bush, He doesn't use language that couches the truth behind softly mumbled deprecation.  No, His ministry is a straightforward declaration regarding the will of God the Father and also the work of the Holy Spirit.  He has referred to Himself with the somewhat mysterious title Son of Man (used in the Old Testament, but in this case inspired by its use in Daniel 7:13), and also as Lord of the Sabbath.  Everything Jesus is doing is shaking up everyday life.  But ultimately, He refers not to Himself but to God the Father and to the Holy Spirit as inspiration and author of what is happening through His ministry.  He directly informs the scribes they are blaspheming the Holy Spirit, and insists on the deeply serious nature of the offense to God they commit.  Moreover, He expresses to His mother and brothers the spiritual family found in the will of God, a bond with Him that is created through such faith.  These are all bold statements which work to shake up relations on every level, the personal and the public -- even the community of Jews as well as the Roman state, since now even the Herodians are involved.  There is nothing held back in service to God.  And so, Jesus the humble carpenter's son from the small and rather unremarkable town of Nazareth has become the Teacher whom all of Israel is going to see, a challenge to the authorities who plot to destroy Him.  It has all happened in the "immediacy" of the events unfolding in Mark's Gospel, even as our own understanding of God's intervention and will in our own lives can happen seemingly "immediately."  We may follow a long road in ignorance and blindness, to simply suddenly and immediately have our eyes opened to something we couldn't previously see.  God's truth bursts in on us when we, like the Prodigal Son, "come to ourselves."  Do not be surprised when the truth of Christ's calling and the work of God in our own lives shakes up some social structures, pre-established habits and relations, even -- and perhaps especially -- our old ways of thinking and being in the world and negotiated relationships from the past.  The truth breaks in upon us, God's word isn't halfway.  It declares to us the decisions we need to make, the about-face turn of repentance we need to do.  It shakes us up so that we, too, might face relatives and friends who think we must be beside ourselves.  Let us follow our Lord in faith, and be assured by our place in His spiritual family, and His ministry which upsets the world.

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

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 3:19b-35

Yesterday we read that, after the Pharisees began plotting with the Herodians to destroy Him (see Saturday's reading),  Jesus withdrew with His disciples to the sea.  And a great multitude from Galilee followed Him, and from Judea and Jerusalem and Idumea and beyond the Jordan; and those from Tyre and Sidon, and a great multitude, when they heard how many things He was doing, came to Him.  So He told His disciples that a small boat should be kept ready for Him because of the multitude, lest they should crush Him.  For He healed many, so that as many as had afflictions pressed about Him to touch Him.  And the unclean spirits, whenever they saw Him, fell down before Him and cried out, saying, "You are the Son of God."  But He sternly warned them that they should not make Him known.  And He went up on the mountain and called to Him those He Himself wanted.  And they came to Him.  Then He appointed twelve, 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:  Simon, to whom He gave the name Peter; James the son of Zebedee and John the brother of James, to whom He gave the name Boanerges, that is, "Sons of Thunder"; Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Cananite; 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."   It may seem strange to us, but the Gospels show conflict between family and the religious life, particularly the work of the Spirit or holiness in the world (see also, for example, John 7:1-9).  Here, St. Jerome comments that even Christ's family seek to put a stop to His public ministry, which at this point has become overwhelming in its popularity, by claiming He has a weak mind.  Perhaps the sheer volume of people crowding into this home to see Him render His ministry "unseemly" or too conspicuous in their eyes; more likely, in the context of this explosive public attention, they are also responding to the new threats against Him from both the religious and state authorities.  But conflict and hostility do not deter Christ from pressing forward with His mission.

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."  Beelzebub, or Baal, was a god worshiped by the Philistines (2 Kings 1:2-16).  The name Beelzebub is one given to Baal by the Jews, a disparaging epithet which means the prince of the "dung heap" or lord of "the flies."  Here the scribes call him the ruler of the demons.  But Jesus responds to their charge with a rational question, "How can Satan cast out Satan?"   He makes it clear through the example of plundering a strong man's house that He is, in effect, the One who has come to bind Satan in opposition to his kingdom, and to liberate the world, his plunder.  My study bible says that the impossibility of demons fighting against themselves illustrates the irrational pride and envy of the Pharisees and scribes in their opposition to Jesus.

 "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 Jesus takes His argument further, in a warning to these men of the leadership themselves.  To blaspheme against the Holy Spirit is to blaspheme against the divine activity of the Spirit, my study bible explains.  It is blasphemy against pure goodness.  The scribes to whom He speaks are the experts in the Old Testament Scriptures, and because of this they are fully aware of what the work of the Spirit in the world is.  My study bible says in this context that therefore their blasphemy against the Spirit -- in effect, calling the purely good "evil" -- comes from a willful hardness of heart and a refusal to accept God's mercy.   A hardness of heart which refuses repentance remains, in effect of such a state, without forgiveness.

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."    Once more the interaction of Christ's family with His ministry illustrates the conflict between the social structures of the world and the holy.    My study bible comments that Jesus' relatives haven't yet understood His identity and mission.   Considering what we read earlier about their concern for Him, this is perhaps another time they try to speak with Him about His ministry.  Jesus remains firm in His mission,  pointing to a spiritual family,  based on obedience to the will of God.  There need be no real conflict here, and in the case of His mother, we know already of her love and obedience to God (Luke 1:38).

It's interesting to consider the images that Mark's Gospel gives us of the repeated attempts at intervention by Christ's family.  They may simply be trying to protect Him from the attention of both the state and religious authorities.  Perhaps they themselves are suffering from undesirable public scrutiny in their own lives in the wake of the effects of His ministry and the public response.  Whatever the reason, we are given to observe how deeply conflicts may play a role in the lives of the faithful.  The impact of the holy is one that shakes up the world.  The powers that be -- that of the "strong man" or "prince of this world" -- are shaken through holiness, the work of the Spirit in the world.  The nature of Christ's kingdom is clearly illustrated in the example He provides to the scribes as that which is in opposition to Satan.  The illustration teaches us, also, that this is not a peaceful opposition but a violent one, one designed to thoroughly shake up the hold that evil has on the world and to "bind up" its power.  As such, it shouldn't be so surprising that Christ's ministry shakes up His own world on so many levels:  from the religious leadership to the state power, to even those members of His own family.  In that light, it is interesting and important to consider Jesus' words about the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit.  He tells us,  "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."  Let us note that He compares other sins and blasphemies to this one significant act of blasphemy of the Spirit.  It's an acknowledgement that sin goes on all the time; it is simply part and parcel of our world.  But blasphemy against the Spirit falls in a particular category.  St. Gregory Nazianzinus comments on this passage that the Holy Spirit is God himself enabling our faith, and moreover, that God the Spirit is not only the one whom we worship but the one by whom we worship.  It is the Spirit, in other words, by whom we have faith in the first place.  What Jesus declares, then, about relatedness and relationships is that there is one overarching branch above all other things that gives us right-relatedness, and that is our love of God, our desire to be obedient to God.  This passes through all other things, and surpasses all other relationships in terms of the power and authority to create "family" -- the ones whom Christ calls His "brother and sister and mother."  It is ultimately God the Father who determines true relatedness in this picture, what the "family" is.  As it is God the Holy Spirit who is at work in the world, it is the work of the Spirit that reveals and inspires; in a sense it is God the Holy Spirit who declares what is real and what is truth.  Hence, blasphemy against the Holy Spirit becomes the one "unforgivable" thing.  This is not to say that we cannot be forgiven for this sin, but that this sin above all is a denial of life and truth.  As such, should we remain in such a state in which we call good "evil," we will remain outside of the reality of God's love and the basis for true relationship to all things.  What we should note is that the invitation to this family is open to all people; there are no barriers to faith, to the true desire to love God.  Indeed, in the eyes of the Gospel, this is our true natural state as creatures of God. And there we come to the notion of Satan the "strong man" who must be bound by Christ, as it is this influence, ultimately, which aims to keep us from true right-relatedness.  Christ lays out the pattern, the strength of faith, and it is the Holy Spirit at work in us and at work in the world who helps to us get there.  Let us take rest in that faith, so that we may truly see the reality of what is.

Here are My mother and My brothers! For whoever does the will of God is My brother and My sister and mother

 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 it 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 3:19b-35

Yesterday we read that, after the Pharisees began to plot with the Herodians to destroy Him, Jesus withdrew with His disciples to the sea.  And a great multitude from Galilee followed Him, and from Judea and Jerusalem and Idumea and beyond the Jordan; and those from Tyre and Sidon, a great multitude, when they heard how many things He was doing, came to Him.  So he told His disciples that a small boat should be kept ready for Him because of the multitude, lest they should crush Him.  For He healed many, so that as many as had afflictions pressed about Him to touch Him.  And the unclean spirits, whenever they saw Him, fell down before Him and cried out, saying, "You are the Son of God."  But He sternly warned them that they should not make Him known.  And He went up on the mountain and called to Him those He Himself wanted.  And they came to Him.  Then He appointed twelve, 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:  Simon, to whom He gave the name Peter; James the son of Zebedee and John the brother of James, to whom He gave the name Boanerges, that is, "Sons of Thunder"; Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Cananite; 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.  Jesus' fame grows exponentially. We're told in recent readings that people come to see Him from all over Israel, and even from Tyre and Sidon, not merely from Galilee.  There are such great crowds who come to see Him that no one can even have a meal in the house.  The scribes come down from Jerusalem.  All eyes are on Him, so to speak.   At this His own people begin to panic (that is, His relatives from Galilee); they themselves go to lay hold of Him.  His behavior is unseemly, it's completely public, He's upsetting the leadership.   The scribes claim that He has Beelzebub, and casts out demons by the ruler of the demons.  Beelzebub was a Jewish reference to the god Baal; it was a slur of the title given to Baal by the Philistines who worshiped Baal; it means prince of "the dung heap" or lord of "the flies" (2 Kings 1:2-16).  Here the scribes call him the ruler of the demons.  Jesus replies with a commonsense and rational answer, which also tells us something about Himself:  He is the stronger man who plunders the house of Satan with His own power and authority.  My study bible tells us that the impossibility of demons fighting against themselves illustrates the irrational pride and envy of the Pharisees in their opposition to Jesus.

"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 it subject to eternal condemnation" -- because they said, "He has an unclean spirit."   My study bible explains that blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is blasphemy against the divine action of the Spirit.  That is a blasphemy against pure goodness.  A sin against the Son of Man is more easily forgiven because the Jews did not know much about Christ.  But blasphemy against the Spirit, whose divine activity these Scriptural experts know from the Old Testament, will not be forgiven.  It comes from a willful hardness of heart, a refusal to accept the mercy of God.  The Church Fathers teach that blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is not an "unforgivable sin" and nor does Jesus ever call it "unforgivable."  According to St. John Chrysostom, blasphemy against the Holy Spirit would be forgivable if one were to repent of it.  Jesus makes this declaration knowing that those who blaspheme the Spirit are calling pure, divine goodness "evil."  They are beyond repentance by their hard-heartedness, their own choice to be so.

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." My study bible tells us that Christ's family hasn't yet understood His identity and mission and the nature of His unfolding ministry.  With all the publicity and the hostility of the leaders, it is most likely startling and unseemly.  We read above that His "own people" think He is out of His mind,  and we know how His own townspeople will react to Him (Mark 6:1-6).  Jesus points to a spiritual family, which is based on obedience to the will of God.   It also notes that in Jewish usage, brother can indicate any number of relations.  Abraham called his nephew Lot "brother" (Genesis 14:14); Boaz spoke of his cousin Elimelech as his "brother" (Ruth 4:3); and Joab called his cousin Amasa "brother" (2 Samuel 20:9).  Mary had one son, Jesus.  The brothers mentioned here are possibly step-brothers (sons of Joseph by a previous marriage), or cousins.  At the Cross, Jesus commits His mother to the care of John Zebedee (John 19:25-27), unthinkable if Mary had had other children to care for her.

We can imagine how startling and even strange Jesus' ministry must be at this stage.  He's being called one who works by the ruler of the demons by the religious leadership; His family thinks He is out of His mind.  His mother and brothers come inquiring after Him.  We might find it startling that His mother Mary is included here; she, after all, is the one who was given the divine word through Gabriel about the child she was to bear.   She was told that He would be called the Son of the Highest, and that He would receive the throne of His father David.  To all of it Mary replied, "Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word" (see Luke 1:26-38).   But nothing is spoken here of revealing precisely how all this would come about, and what the nature of His ministry would be.  Perhaps the closest a prophesy comes to telling Mary just what to expect is Simeon's prophecy, made when Jesus is presented in the temple as an infant:  "Behold, this Child is destined for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign which will be spoken against (yes, a sword will pierce through your own soul also), that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed" (see Luke 2:25-35).  Nevertheless, this is not a rebuke of His mother (nor even His brothers).  Rather it is a statement, as my study bible says, of where true relationship comes from and what constitutes family for Him.  Neither does it exclude His mother.  St. Augustine writes of Mary, "She did the Father’s will. It was this in her that the Lord magnified, not merely that her flesh gave birth to flesh.… When He said, 'Blessed are they who hear the Word of God and keep it,' He was in effect saying: 'My mother whom you have called blessed is blessed for the reason that she keeps the Word of God, not that the Word was made flesh in her and dwelt among us, but that she keeps the very Word of God through which she was made and which was made flesh in her'" (Tractate on John 10.3.2).  In other words, the honor He gives even His mother isn't merely of the flesh, but there's a higher and greater honor in those who love the will of God, and in that Mary is most blessed, as is affirmed here by Christ Himself.  How would our lives look if we gave this honor to one another -- if we honored in those around us the love of God?  It is a focus on the heart, an emphasis that elevates not a kind of coded snobbery of those whose faith is obvious or apparent.  Jesus' railing against religious hypocrisy sees us through that!  Instead, it is a kind of devotion to pure goodness, one that values true discernment, a love of the Good itself, that constitutes true relationship and relatedness to Christ, an internal honor that is in fact the substance of true family.  Let us consider what links us to Him in truth, what we elevate in our hearts, and to Whom we owe true obedience.  It is the most important question we answer, the way we need to find where we belong.