Mark 3:30-35 and Family concerns

[John_Martin]

This is absolutely truth:

"whoever does the will of God is My brother and sister and mother.”

Mary is his mother not by the desires nor will of the flesh with her husband but she is his mother, literally, because, as the servant (handmaid) of her LORD, she always and only does His Will; “Let it be with me according to your word.”

And we are his brothers and sisters, literally, if we do as Mary, our mother, let our actions, words, thoughts, be what he wants them to be.

Jesus was not talking to Mary in the text but to those who needs to know the true meaning of mother, brother, sister, and where our real birth happens and we know who we really are.

 

[TheLittleLady]

It sounds like basic anti Marian tropes.

 

[Hodos]

Does it make sense that Mary would have concerns with Christ’s preaching? Or methods? I can’t square it in my head and would appreciate any insights.

I think given the context of the passage, where in verse 21 Jesus own family goes to (and the verb here says seize) take him because people are accusing Jesus of being mad, it make sense that Mary and his family were not fully aware of what Jesus ministry would entail. I don’t think this should actually be a challenge to your faith. It appears that no one, even the disciples fully understood what Jesus intended to do even when he gave them explicit warnings that he came to die on a cross. Peter for example, after his great confession of faith that Jesus is the Christ will in the next passage rebuke Jesus for daring to say he would be killed. It is through the resurrection that people finally get what Jesus had done and came to do. The resurrection is the lens by which everything falls into place for Jesus followers, and I see no reason to believe this didn’t apply to Jesus family as well, especially given Mark’s text in Chapter 3.

 

[DanielJT]

In the Nestle-Aland Greek-English New Testament it also uses family but the line reads, “And when his family heard it, they went out to seize him, for people were saying, ‘He is beside himself’.”

I think this might be it! Where the misunderstanding is coming from.

Is this a valid translation of these verses? I mean, I understand that this is a different translation that may not be approved by the Church in its entirety, but does the translation of this particular verse from the original Greek even make sense?

 

[VeryBlessed]

His family was no doubt concerned for His welfare.

With good reason. Consider this verse which occurs just 15 verses previous. “The Pharisees went out and immediately conspired with the Herodians against him, how to destroy him.” (‭‭Mark‬ ‭3:6‬).

 

[bob4]

A New Catholic Commentary on Holy Scripture states that verse 21 can be translated to read that Jesus’s relatives went out to bring the crowd under control because it (the crowd) “was beside itself”.

 

[bob4]

DanielJT:

this idea was presented that Mary was not completely on board with what Jesus was doing

Are these the words used on YouTube or are they your words?

@DanielJT did you miss this?

 

[Cathoholic]

MARK 3:13-35

Jesus Appoints the Twelve​

13 And he went up into the hills, and called to him those whom he desired; and they came to him. 14 And he appointed twelve,[a] to be with him, and to be sent out to preach 15 and have authority to cast out demons: 16 Simon whom he surnamed Peter; 17 James the son of Zeb′edee and John the brother of James, whom he surnamed Bo-aner′ges, that is, sons of thunder; 18 Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus, and Simon the Cananaean, 19 and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.

Jesus and Beelzebul​

Then he went home; 20 and the crowd came together again, so that they could not even eat. 21 And when his friends heard it, they went out to seize him, for they said, “He is beside himself.” 22 And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem said, “He is possessed by Be-el′zebul, and by the prince of demons he casts out the demons.” 23 And he called them to him, and said to them in parables, “How can Satan cast out Satan? 24 If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. 25 And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. 26 And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand, but is coming to an end. 27 But no one can enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man; then indeed he may plunder his house.

28 “Truly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the sons of men, and whatever blasphemies they utter; 29 but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin”— 30 for they had said, “He has an unclean spirit.”

The True Kindred of Jesus​

31 And his mother and his brethren[b] came; and standing outside they sent to him and called him. 32 And a crowd was sitting about him; and they said to him, “Your mother and your brethren[c] are outside, asking for you.” 33 And he replied, “Who are my mother and my brethren?” 34 And looking around on those who sat about him, he said, “Here are my mother and my brethren! 35 Whoever does the will of God is my brother, and sister, and mother.”

Mark 3 RSVCE - - Bible Gateway

www.biblegateway.com

I don’t understand how from this passage (I included a lot for context purposes) that the Blessed Mother is somehow doubting our Lord Jesus??

 

[Julius_Caesar]

Where it says that the relations of Jesus thought Him mad and tried to restrain Him?

 

[Lunam_Meam]

The verses that I am trying to square are the first two in particular within the context of the whole. Mark 3:30-31 says, “30 Because they said he hath an unclean spirit 31 and his mother and his brothers came; and standing without, sent unto Him, calling Him.”

Mary of course suffers along with Christ and because she is the Mother of the One to be crucified, but this verse feels more like Mary questioning what Christ is doing or teaching apart from the crucifixion. In Cana at the wedding Mary asks Jesus to help, but here she seems to be concerned with what He is teaching, even to the point of coming to check to see if He has an unclean spirit. Where would that concern come from?

Why do you think those verses indicate Mary came to check to see if Jesus had an unclean spirit, and was questioning His teaching? Because Mark mentions the presence of Mary and His brothers, and their calling for Him after His teaching had concluded?

 

[Cathoholic]

Cathoholic . . .

I don’t understand how from this passage (I included a lot for context purposes) that the Blessed Mother is somehow doubting our Lord Jesus??

.

Julius_Caesar . . .

Where it says that the relations of Jesus thought Him mad and tried to restrain Him?

Where are you getting the Blessed Virgin Mary from this??

.

MARK 3:19b-21 Then he went home; 20 and the crowd came together again, so that they could not even eat. 21 And when his friends heard it, they went out to seize him, for they said, “He is beside himself.”

 

[Julius_Caesar]

What translation are you using?

NAB has relatives.

So when relatives say He’s crazy and Jesus’ mom and bros show up this could give that implication.

 

[Cathoholic]

Julius_Caesar . . .

What translation are you using?

NAB has relatives.

Literally: “Those belonging to him”.
“Hoi par autou” (here)

Not “ALL those belonging to him.”

I still do not see any sort of taint against the Blessed Virgin Mary here (or anywhere else for that matter).

.

My Bible reference source I already gave here.

Here it is again . . .

Mark 3 RSVCE - - Bible Gateway

www.biblegateway.com

 

[Julius_Caesar]

Literally: “Those belonging to him”.

Which refers to his relations.

 

[Lunam_Meam]

NAB has relatives.

Not “all relatives”.

 

[Cathoholic]

Julius_Caesar . . .

Which refers to his relations.

HOW are you getting the Blessed Virgin Mary doubting Jesus merely because “his relations” did?

The text NEVER says “ALL” His relations?

WHY ADD that into the text? Especially when it indicts the Blessed Virgin Mary? I just don’t get that.

“Relations” in a Hebrew culture is potentially vast.

“Relations” in a Hebrew culture certainly is not well-defined (they did not even have a word for cousin, calling their own cousins, second cousins, etc. “brothers” and “sisters”).

Like I said. WHERE are you getting this about the Blessed Virgin Mary falling into doubt about Jesus?

 

[Julius_Caesar]

The text NEVER says “ALL” His relations?

And then it speaks of His mother and brothers coming to see Him.

So I can understand how people can get that impression.

 

[Usagi]

We know (and it is occasionally questioned on these forums) that even John the Baptist, the last and greatest prophet of the Old Covenant who, like Mary, had personal revelation about Jesus earlier in life, sent people to Jesus later, when John was in prison, to confirm that his life’s mission really had been based on truth.

Even the greatest and most blessed of humans can be faced with a bad situation (prison and imminent death for John, Jesus’ notoriety and the slander about him for Mary) and want reassurance that everything is as they believed.

So it is certainly possible that even Mary wondered what was going on and wanted to see her son in person to get the real story.

Then again, it’s also possible that the siblings were the ones who decided he was a nut, and brought Mom along in hopes that she could talk him down, while Mary just wanted to be there for support in the face of the wild stories that were going around.

It’s a very short passage that continues the general Gospel theme of “even the people who should have known Jesus best were confused about his message and mission.” The Apostles repeatedly look like complete doofuses who can’t understand the simplest figurative language – and this is in books written either by themselves or by people who regarded them as saintly spiritual leaders.

 

[Cathoholic]

Usagi . . .

We know (and it is occasionally questioned on these forums) that even John the Baptist, the last and greatest prophet of the Old Covenant

I might be inclined to agree here except this is the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Mary’s faith never wavered.​

CCC 149 Throughout her life and until her last ordeal when Jesus her son died on the cross,
Mary’s faith never wavered.
She never ceased to believe in the fulfillment of God’s word.
And so the Church venerates in Mary the purest realization of faith.

 

[Cathoholic]

Julius_Caesar . . .

And then it speaks of His mother and brothers coming to see Him.

So I can understand how people can get that impression.

Whatever.