Mark 3:20-35
Then Jesus entered a house, and again a crowd gathered, so that he and his disciples were not even able to eat. When his family heard about this, they went to take charge of him, for they said, “He is out of his mind.”
And the teachers of the law who came down from Jerusalem said, “He is possessed by Beelzebul! By the prince of demons he is driving out demons.”
So Jesus called them over to him and began to speak to them in parables: “How can Satan drive out Satan? If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand. And if Satan opposes himself and is divided, he cannot stand; his end has come. In fact, no one can enter a strong man’s house without first tying him up. Then he can plunder the strong man’s house. Truly I tell you, people can be forgiven all their sins and every slander they utter, but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; they are guilty of an eternal sin.”
He said this because they were saying, “He has an impure spirit.”
Then Jesus’ mother and brothers arrived. Standing outside, they sent someone in to call him. A crowd was sitting around him, and they told him, “Your mother and brothers are outside looking for you.”
“Who are my mother and my brothers?” he asked.
Then he looked at those seated in a circle around him and said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! Whoever does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother.”
REFLECTIONS:
Thoughts from Cory:
It is early in the ministry of Jesus and things are not looking too good. His own family thinks that he is out of his mind and the religious leaders are going around telling people that he is possessed by Beelzebul, the “prince of demons.”
That’s a tough spot to be in. Especially at this point in the story when Jesus has really only been healing people. It’s hard to see how the simple act of healing someone would cause so much concern and consternation.
But the systems and governments and economies that we create need people to stay in their prescribed roles. In Jesus’ day, as in ours, those on the margins of society were there for a reason—they were foreigners, they had sinned, they had made bad choices, they had not worked hard enough—and anyone that suggested otherwise was a threat to the world as we know it.
Jesus’ family and the religious leaders could see where his teaching and actions were leading. The dismantling of our orderly systems. The upending of our well thought out hierarchies. Jesus’ family was not at the top of that hierarchy, by any means, but they weren’t at the bottom, either. The religious leaders were at the top. Together, they find common ground in their fear of the topsy-turvy world that Jesus is talking about.
PRACTICE:
Outward Mindset Application
When something goes wrong this week, how can you avoid the practice of blaming?
Non-Violent Communication Question of the Week
What is one relationship where you find yourself making judgments more than observations?
Pathways toward Centeredness
Naturalism (Loving God outdoors and in nature):
Find a park or similar “natural area.” Sit under a tree for 30 minutes. Imagine all the life, events, comings and goings, and people and animals the tree has seen. Consider where you fit inside that tree’s life story.
Questions for Reflection
How do you benefit from the system, or the status quo?
What is one thing you could do to make Jesus’ topsy-turvy vision of the world a reality?
“Liturgy” refers to the habits and practices humans use to form community around shared values and meaning. At Church at the Park, we desire to be a community of practice, becoming people who see the world through the eyes of the marginalized, making meaning through the lens of pain and suffering, and committing ourselves to non-violence in a wounded world. This weekly email is intended to provide pathways of practice for becoming the type of people who embody these values.
Many of our reflections on each week's text come from other sources. If you're interested in reading more of what inspires us, here our our two favorite reflections.
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