In our last episode we saw the increasing conflict between Jesus and the religious authorities, particularly over the issues of proper eating and proper observance of the Sabbath. This came to a crisis in Mark 3:6, when the Pharisees began to plot with the supporters of Herod how they might kill Jesus. From here to the end of his gospel, Mark’s story takes place in the shadow of opposition.

In our episode, today, Mark tells us four stories about Jesus’ ministry to distinct groups of people, the crowd, the disciples, his family, and religious teachers from Jerusalem. He uses these stories to paint a picture of two types of people, insiders, and outsiders. Insiders are close to Jesus. They have committed themselves to follow Jesus, even though their understanding of his mission may still be faulty. Jesus creates a group of insiders who are more divergent and unlikely than you would expect. The second group of people are outsiders. They oppose Jesus and his purposes, and you might be surprised who they are.

As Mark fills out his picture of insiders and outsiders, he expects us to ask ourselves, “Which group do I belong to?” If we assume that we are close to Jesus, Mark invites us to examine our heart carefully; if we assume that we must be far away from Jesus, Mark gives us hope that even we might join Jesus inside circle.

As we look at our passage of scripture for today, we ask two questions. What is it like to be an outsider? And what does it take to become an insider, who has a relationship with Jesus and is committed to him?

Jesus’ Expansive Ministry (3:7-12) 

Mark typically weaves his narrative using specific stories to communicate his point, but he cannot say everything this way. The first section we will read, today, is an editorial summary which reminds us that Jesus’ ministry extended beyond the few stories Mark includes in this gospel, and over a larger geographical area than he has yet mentioned.

Let me read Mark 3, verses 7 through 12.

Jesus withdrew with his disciples to the lake, and a large crowd from Galilee followed. When they heard about all he was doing, many people came to him from Judea, Jerusalem, Idumea, and the regions across the Jordan and around Tyre and Sidon. Because of the crowd he told his disciples to have a small boat ready for him, to keep the people from crowding him. For he had healed many, so that those with diseases were pushing forward to touch him. Whenever the impure spirits saw him, they fell down before him and cried out, “You are the Son of God.” But he gave them strict orders not to tell others about him.
Mark 3:7-12

When we read that Jesus withdrew with his disciples, it suggests that Jesus retreated for solitude. Given his recent testing by the religious authorities, we can understand how he may have wanted to escape their further harassment. The description that he withdrew to the lake, however, is a bit puzzling, since Capernaum was on the lake, but it may mean that Jesus left the Capernaum area for the more deserted shore to the north where the Jordan River enters the lake.

Mark then describes a large crowd which followed him from an area both geographically and ethnically broad. In addition to Galilee, there were people from Judea, the area around Jerusalem, as well as Jerusalem itself. These people were mostly Jewish. Others came from areas inhabited by both Jewish and non-Jewish people. First were those from Idumea, an area 120 miles from Galilee and directly south of Judea. Idumea, which was the Greek form of Edom, was historically associated with Jacob’s brother, Esau, but in Jesus’ day it was known more as the childhood home of Herod the Great. Others came from Transjordan, another mixed-race area east of the Jordan river. Still others came from Tyre and Sidon, cities on the coast of Syria 50 miles north, which were mostly non-Jewish people.

As usual, the crowd presented both an opportunity and a hindrance to Jesus’ ministry. We read in verse 9 that the people were crowding him. They had heard of His power and fell all over themselves to touch him. They pushed forward, crushing him. He needed a boat to avoid being mobbed! This boat, which probably belonged to Jesus’ fishermen-followers, became his floating podium. Just like in Mark 1, we read that Jesus healed “many,” and again, this is a Semitic idiom meaning “all.”

Sometimes we have a folksy picture in our mind of a gentle Jesus surrounded by little children and lambs, but this is far from the image Mark gives us. Picture one of our popular social icons being jostled by the crowd and hassled by reporters, and you will be closer to the truth.

As we have seen before, whenever an impure spirit saw him, it fell before him, as an inferior prostrating before a superior. The demons were spiritual beings, and as such, they recognized the spirit of God in Jesus. “You are the Son of God,” they cried. 

Jesus gave the impure spirits strict orders not to tell others about him. This is a sovereign command. Jesus and the spirits are engaged in cosmic battle, and Jesus’ authority over the demons is total and final. He wanted his messianic nature to emerge from his deeds, not the frenzied utterances of demonic forces.

So far, other than God the Father, the evil spirits are the only ones to declare Jesus’ full divinity. This is a stark contrast the crowds, who were frequently amazed, yet questioned who Jesus was. They came for the healings, for the miracles, for the show, but they were not committed to Jesus. They were not true insiders. 

Jesus could not accomplish his mission by focusing on the crowd, so he chose twelve men to be his apprentices.

Jesus Appoints the Twelve (3:13–19)

Up to this point, Jesus has already called five people to follow him, four fishermen from beside the lake plus Levi the tax collector. His group of followers was surely more than these, however, since Jesus now chooses twelve from among them to be formal disciples. The word for “disciple,” in both its Greek and Hebrew roots means “student,” specifically someone learning in active fellowship with the teacher. We might communicate this best with the word “apprentice.”

Let’s read Mark’s story beginning with Mark 3:13.

Jesus went up on a mountainside and called to him those he wanted, and they came to him. He appointed twelve that they might be with him and that he might send them out to preach and to have authority to drive out demons. These are the twelve he appointed: Simon (to whom he gave the name Peter), James son of Zebedee and his brother John (to them he gave the name Boanerges, which means “sons of thunder”), Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.
 Mark 3:13-19

“Jesus went up on a mountainside.” Mountains were significant in the Old Testament, particularly Mount Sinai and Mount Zion, and Mark also features mountains  at significant junctures in Jesus’ ministry. In addition to this occurrence, we also see Jesus praying on a mountainside in chapter 6 and appearing in transfigured form on a mountain in chapter 9. Near the end of the gospel, the Mount of Olives is a prominent site, from which he sent 2 disciples to prepare for His entrance to Jerusalem (11:1), where he gave his final discourse regarding the future (13:3) and finally, where he was betrayed (14:26).

When we read that Jesus “called to him those he wanted” (v. 13) the original language is even more emphatic, “he summoned those he willed.” Jesus did not recruit applications; His authority determined the call. 

The New International Version of the Bible uses the word, “appointed” twice in this passage, but the Greek words behind those translations are different. In verse 14, where we read, “he appointed twelve,” the verb is the same as the Greek translation of Genesis 1:1, “God created the heavens and the earth.” While “created” is a common verb, Mark may reflect the opening of Genesis through his word choice, showing that the Twelve are a new creation.

When we read in verse 16 about “the twelve he appointed,” a more literal translation could be “the twelve he named.” Again, this may recall the story from Genesis 2 of Adam naming the animals. In the biblical world, the person who does the naming is always the superior. They determine the essence or purpose of the one named. Jesus exercises that authority, here.

This passage details two aspects of the disciples’ job description. First, they are to be with him. Discipleship is a relationship before it is a task. To be with Jesus is the most profound mystery of discipleship. They were to accompany Jesus and absorb everything they could about him. Their core task was to become like Jesus.

The second part of their job description was to be his sent ones. This is the meaning of the word “apostle.” This flows directly from their association with Jesus. This was far different from Rabbinic discipleship, where the disciple simply sat at his master’s feet and memorized his teaching. Jesus would send them first to preach, to call people to repentance and faith. Jesus also sent them to have authority to drive out demons. Popular Judaism believed that subduing demons would characterize the messianic age. Sometimes the disciples would succeed at this and sometimes they would fail.

The fact that there were twelve disciples recalls the twelve tribes of Israel. Jesus is reconstituting a new Israel, the church. This would have been an important point for the first Roman readers of Mark. For non-Jewish readers it reminded them that “salvation is from the Jews” (John 4:22), and for Jewish readers it admonished them that Israel could only fulfil its destiny by following Jesus.

The emphasis in the New Testament is on the twelve as a group, but Mark does give a brief look at the individuals.

First, Jesus names Simon, whom he nicknamed “rock,” (which was translated Petros in Greek). He was a cornerstone of the community. You might think that Jesus named Simon “rock” because of his firm, stable character, but it would be some time before he lived up to that description. It is better to understand “rock” as an expression of his role among the apostles. He heads every New Testament list of apostles, followed by James and John. Together, these three form an inner circle on significant occasions in Jesus’ ministry.

Next to Simon, Jesus appointed James and John, who were brothers. Jesus calls them “Boanarges,”. one of many Aramaic words Mark translates. They were “sons of thunder.”

We also read of Simon the Zealot. The Jewish insurrectionist movement began in the early first century, but the members were not called “zealots” until the 50s. This Simon, then, was generally affiliated with those who opposed Rome, but not a personal member of a particular group.

Lastly, we see Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him. The meaning of the surname “Iscariot” is obscure. Some have suggested that he belonged to a radical group of zealot assassins, since “Iscariot” has some similarity with the word for “dagger man.” A more likely meaning, however, is that he was from Kerioth, 20 miles East of the Dead Sea. Mark mentions Judas with a sense of foreboding as the one who betrayed him. Mark wrote just thirty years after Judas’ betrayal, and he might have been tempted to omit Judas’ name. The fact that he did not shows his commitment to historical accuracy. It also shows his understanding of the church. Followers of Jesus are not perfect, but Jesus can accomplish his purposes despite their failure, sometimes even through their failure.

Mark simply lists many of these followers by name and we know little about them. None of them were from the established Jewish leadership. Some were common people from the acceptable middle, one was a tax collector, collaborating with the oppressive Roman government, another was an enemy of Rome. The only thing that united these dissimilar individuals was the authoritative call of Jesus. All became part of Jesus inside circle.

Insiders or outsiders (3:20-35)?

So far in this episode we have seen the wide range of Jesus ministry, gathering crowds from the coastal areas of Tyre and Sidon north of Judea down to the deserts of Idumea south of Jerusalem and all areas in between. The crowd was near him but not committed to him. They were outsiders. In addition to his public ministry with the crowds, we also have seen Jesus private ministry with his followers, appointing twelve to be formal apprentices. Jesus would spend time with them and send them out to minister. They were truly insiders.

In the next section we see the irony of Mark’s theme of insiders and outsiders. Those who followed him as insiders and opposed him as outsiders were not necessarily the ones that you would expect.

In our last episode we learned about a frequently used writing technique called chiastic structure. In this final story today, we learn of another favorite writing technique of Mark which we might informally call a narrative “sandwich.” In this literary form, Mark splits one story into two parts and sandwiches another story into the middle. He does this nine times in his gospel. The middle part of the narrative sandwich can seem like an interruption, but it gives us the theological key. This is somewhat like the chiastic structure, where the main idea is found in the middle. You can also see why sandwich is such an apt metaphor. If you make a tuna fish sandwich, the important identity of the sandwich comes from the filling, not what kind of bread you used. With this writing method, Mark invites us to compare the outer story with the inner story to see the similarities, differences, and how those ideas combine to make one truth.

In the example before us, which begins with Mark 3:20, Mark begins a story about Jesus family coming to take charge of Jesus, because they think he is out of his mind. This story is concluded later in verses 31-35 when his family finally arrive. In the middle of this story about Jesus family, Mark sandwiches in another story about the teachers of the law who sent a formal delegation from Jerusalem to accuse Jesus of casting out demons using the power of the devil. You can see already similarities between these two stories. Both involve a delegation of people coming to Jesus who say, in different words, “you are crazy.” We will be able combine these stories into one truth after we have more details, but let’s begin by reading from Mark 3:20.

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.”
 Mark 3:20-21

Notice, again, that the crowd was an obstacle to Jesus’ mission. “He and his disciples were not even able to eat.” This shows the depth of Jesus’ compassion and his commitment to people and their needs. In our English translation we read that his family was coming. The original Greek is more ambiguous, saying simply “his people.” This could mean family, associates, or friends, but in this case “family” is likely the intended meaning, since we learn at the end of this narrative that Jesus’ mother and brothers have arrived.

Concerning his family’s intention, however, the Greek is absolutely clear, even startling. As James Edwards translates in his commentary, “they went to seize him, believing that Jesus had gone berserk.”[1] The word “seize” or “take charge” usually refers to arresting a criminal. His family want to force Jesus to return home and quit his ministry. He has gone crazy! This is startling! Jesus’ associates should be his advocates, but now they have become adversaries. You would expect his family to be the ultimate insiders, but they have now become outsiders, opposed to his mission.

Does your family think that you are crazy for following Jesus. If so, you are not the first to experience this. Jesus knows what you are going through.

Jesus family are not the only ones who think that he is crazy. At this point, Mark interjects the story of teachers of the law who had come from Jerusalem in an official delegation to oppose Jesus. Verse 22:

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. 
 Mark 3:22-27

 Since they could not challenge the reality of his exorcisms, the teachers of the law challenge the source of his power. They concluded that he must be in league with the devil in order to have authority over demons. In other words, they accuse the son of God of being the son of Satan. This meaning is confused, however, by their use of an unfamiliar name for the devil, “Beelzebul,” but Jesus clearly equates this name with Satan in his response.

The Hebrew suffix zeboul occurs only four times in the Old Testament. Each time it refers to an exalted dwelling, like a temple. The first part of the name, B-E-E-L, is a variant of the Canaanite deity, Baal. Combining these ideas, then, the name means “Baal, ruler of the house of demons.” The term “house” may have the meaning of dynasty or building, and Jesus uses both meanings in his response.

The teachers of the law must have thought they were very clever. If the demons were under the authority of the devil, and if Jesus had the authority to drive demons out, then the source of Jesus’ power must be the devil. Jesus, however, invited them to think more deeply. “How can Satan drive out Satan?” he asked, and if he was opposed to the devil, how could he be empowered by him? Satan would then be working at cross-purposes with himself.

Jesus illustrates this with two simple metaphors—a kingdom divided and a house divided. 

The idea of a divided kingdom assumes that demons are organized into military units which may turn on each other in civil war. A house divided refers to a dynastic house. The story of rivals fighting for the throne has played out many times in history. Listeners in Jesus’ day would only have needed to look to the House of Herod for an example. Both these metaphors of kingdom and house assume that Satan actually has power and rules over his own realm. 

Many people, today, imagine a simple dualism between good and evil, where these two forces are essentially equal, but Jesus did not teach this. He had a crystal-clear self-understanding. He had come to conquer evil, to liberate humanity before redeeming it. As the first epistle of John says,

The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. 1 John 3:8

Jesus continued his explanation by referring to a strong man’s house. This is a further word play on the meaning of “house,” this time as a building. Satan is the lord in his fortress. His opponent, Jesus, will first bind him then carry off the demonic spirits as plunder from his house. The message is clear; Jesus has completely defeated Satan.

We now have enough information to examine these two stories Mark has sandwiched together and discover one combined truth. Jesus’ family sought to take charge of him, to bind him. The teachers of the law charged that the devil had already taken charge of him. Jesus asserted, on the other hand, that he had already bound Satan. To combine these thoughts together into one sentence, then, Jesus has the authority to bind Satan, the prince of demons, but he will not be bound by anyone.

Once Jesus has challenged the religious leaders’ thesis, he makes a countercharge against them. They charge him with receiving his power from the devil; he charges them with blaspheming against the Holy Spirit, a sin which is unforgiveable.

Truly I tell you, [Jesus said,] 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.” 
 Mark 3:28-29

Mark then adds this editorial comment, “He said this because they were saying, ‘He has an impure spirit’” (v. 30). 

Jesus accused the scribes of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, which means “to slander” or “defame” God. Anyone who would call Jesus, the incarnation of goodness, evil was hopelessly lost. They must be able to distinguish evil from good in order to repent. If they cannot repent, God will never forgive them.

Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit and its unpardonable nature is one of the most disturbing statements in the gospels, and it may have been disturbing for Mark’s community as well. These verses contain several Hebrew language elements, which suggests that the early church had been particularly careful in transmitting this quote by Jesus.[2] Perhaps Mark makes his editorial comment explaining the nature of this sin because it did disturb them. They certainly wanted to avoid an eternal sin.

I remember growing up in church and the idea of a sin that was unforgiveable caused a great deal of worry among the young people. 

“What is this blaspheming against the Holy Spirit?” 

“I don’t really know but I don’t want to do it.”

“Well, if I don’t know what it is, how do I know if I might have done it?”

Finally one girl said, “I think that if you are worried about committing it, then you haven’t done it. Blaspheming against the Holy Spirit is ascribing the power Jesus demonstrated to the devil instead of the Spirit. In a real sense, that was only possible when Jesus was here on earth performing miracles. We cannot do that when Jesus is not physically here.”

Well, thank you Stephanie! Most Bible teachers and theologians agree that this unforgiveable blasphemy against the Spirit was only possible when Jesus was physically present on earth.

It is ironic that Jesus charged the scribes with profaning God. This is the same charge they levelled at him when he forgave the paralyzed man in chapter 2 and the same sin they condemned him for when he stood trial before the Sanhedrin prior to His crucifixion (Mark 14:60-62).

This admonition against blasphemy is intended as a warning, not a condemnation, for in the same context Jesus says “people can be forgiven all their sins and every slander they utter” (v. 28). God’s forgiveness is based on his amazing mercy, as we read in Isaiah chapter 1,

Come now, let us reason together, says the LORD:
 though your sins are like scarlet,
 they shall be as white as snow;
 though they are red like crimson,
 they shall become like wool. Isaiah 1:18

At this point in his narrative, Mark returns to the outer story in this literary sandwich, the story of Jesus and his family. Verse 31:

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.”
 Mark 3:31-35

The call of Jesus’ family was, unknowingly, a call for him to turn away from his God-given mission. Mark heightens the irony of his story when he tells us twice that Jesus’ mother and brothers are outside, while the crowd is inside. Usually, the family is on the inside and the crowd is outside. Here, the ones we expect to be insiders are out, and the ones we expect to be outsiders are in. 

His family, the ultimate insiders in their own eyes, expected that they had claim over him, but Jesus did not share that assumption. “Who are my mother and my brothers?” This is a probing question, now as it was then. Those who assume they are close to Jesus should stop and ponder, and those who assume that they are far away may take hope.

Jesus looked at those seated in a circle around him and answered his own question, “Here are my mother and my brothers! Whoever does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother.” To follow Jesus means simply spending time with him and doing God’s will. These are the same essential characteristics we saw in the description of the apostles earlier in this episode.

The story of this encounter with Jesus own family would have been even more significant in Mark’s day, when Jesus’ brother James had assumed the leadership of the Jerusalem church, another brother, Jude, had written a letter later included in the New Testament, and his mother, Mary had been given a place of honor in the church fellowship. Jesus does not demean his physical family, but points to a new family, the church. 

If even the holy family have their insider status questioned, no one should presume that they are “in” without a true faith commitment. For us today, we cannot rely on our Christian upbringing, baptism, confirmation, church attendance or charitable giving to put us on the inside with Jesus. On the other hand, anyone who wants to spend time learning from Jesus and do the will of his Father can join his inside circle.

Final Comments

As we look ahead to our next episode, we see a continuation of this insider and outsider theme. Jesus tells a series of parables, stories he told to give new insight into the kingdom of God for insiders, for those who wanted to understand, but simultaneously keep the mystery for outsiders who did not seek to follow his way. I think you will find these short stories fascinating.

If you have found this podcast helpful, I would appreciate your sharing it with your friends by word of mouth, social media, or whatever means you have available. If you in a small group of Christian friends who study the Bible together, I have provided discussion questions in the episode notes that could form the basis for a group discussion. Thank you for your help in growing this Bible Wisdom Today family.

[1] Edwards, J. R. (2002). Trouble with the Authorities. In The Gospel According to Mark (Pillar New Testament Commentary). Eerdmans.
[2] Edwards, J. R. (2002).