Back to the Bible: Mark 3
I have to be honest here. This practice of going back to the Scriptures I spent most of my life studying and teaching has been uncomfortable. You see, long ago I began to let go of the unhealthy attachment to the Bible my faith tradition taught me. As a pastor, it was discouraging to talk with so many intelligent, genuine Christians who blindly worshiped the Bible. It’s one thing to academically hold to “inerrancy” (the Christian Scriptures are without error), but it’s another to intentionally hold oneself to the murky and squishy interpretations of dozens of manuscripts written thousands of years ago. I mostly witnessed a sort of Rorshach exercise (the ink-blot test) where people read the Bible and saw what they wanted to see - their personal opinion all within the distinct boundaries of the “truth.” I did try as a teacher and a pastor to challenge people’s insecure attachment to St. Paul’s words because I believed it was getting in the way of what the Christian faith is truly about: trust. This is my opinion, of course.
I’m no longer in the pastoring space where I was considered the expert in the room concerning the Bible. But that part isn’t the uncomfortable part for me. What’s uncomfortable is the dramatic shift of my relationship to the Bible. I still feel ripples of the deep love I forged for these worn pages. Yet I’m also aware that most will continue to relate to the Bible as their god. This isn’t a judgment on my part, merely an observation. An observation I would hope lands for some so that new space can be opened up to trust. I share all this for one simple reason: I prefer authenticity, and that people would hear where I’m coming from.
MARK 3
I see three things in this chapter that continue to interest me:
Jesus tells the impure spirit to not tell others about him (3:11-12)
Jesus’ parable of the “strong man” (Mark 3:22-27)
Jesus’ reframing of family (Mark 3:33-35).
Don’t Tell Anyone (3:11-12)
Why does Jesus tell the impure spirits to be quiet about his identity? It’s confusing! This is hardly the only instance of it, too. Jesus says similar things in all the Gospels, but particularly here in Mark. I’ve heard preachers and read commentators who speculate. Some say it’s because Jesus would never allow filthy, unclean mouths to speak of his divinity. I despise that interpretation. It’s the kind of nonsense I’ve heard from my Reformed friends who are obsessed with Yahweh’s glory. They always sound like they want to go back to Mt. Sinai and teach everyone to shudder in terror before a god of lava and lightning. Jesus looks nothing like their power wielding bully-of-a-deity.
I heard some preachers explain that Jesus was doing a little reverse psychology. He told them to remain quiet about his great deeds, so they did the opposite and went out to tell anyone who would listen. That’s also a weird interpretation for me. I’m skeptical about Mark painting Jesus as a burgeoning social engineer. Jesus feels like he’s more about direct honesty than playful manipulation.
The interpretation that rings truest for me is the one that suggests Mark had a literary purpose for Jesus’ “strict orders.” In essence, Mark wants to portray a slow reveal of Jesus’ destiny. So he plays with Jesus’ commands and the crowds’ responses to create a story arc culminating with Jesus’ crucifixion. That makes sense to me. For some, this feels too much like Mark isn’t reporting Jesus’ exact words. I shake my head. Do you think Mark had access to a recording device to fact-check his quotes? Hell no. Listen folks, the manner in which the New Testament has been distilled into your leather bound book with golden glitter on the edges of the pages was a messy process. There is a reason why scholars who delve into biblical criticism (e.g. textual, form, redaction, etc.) often come out “losing their faith.” I don’t think losing one’s faith is necessary though - unless the faith they’re losing is in their unhealthy idolizing of the Bible. I prefer to keep my trust and adjust my understanding of the Bible. Personally, I think Mark’s Gospel is rather trustworthy - largely because we have so many manuscripts as evidence - but that doesn’t mean Mark wasn’t telling a story about Jesus and that he took creative license in the telling.
The Strong Man (3:22-27)
In the Gospels, Jesus is regularly in conflict with the religious leaders of the day. I’ll spare you a deep dive into all the various groups which go by names like Scribes, Pharisees, Sadducees, and teachers of the Law. The main point of all of this conflict is that Jesus’ teachings were threatening to the power brokers of his day. These Jewish leaders sometimes get a bad wrap among churches as pastors compare people’s hypocrisy and arrogance to a Pharisee. The problem isn’t unique to the religious leaders of Jesus’ day, the problem is a human problem. Read church history. Christians have mixed religious and political power in utterly disgusting ways - all in the name of Jesus by the way.
Here’s my interpretation: the religious leaders - teachers of the Law/Scribes - accuse Jesus of being in leagues with evil forces based on his ability to exorcize unclean spirits. They literally demonize Jesus. And what a stupid accusation! Clearly, these guys are threatened and now are relying on the ignorance of the crowds in hopes to stir up a mob. Jesus calls out their bullshit. “How can Satan drive out Satan?” Indeed.
He gives a parable of a thief entering the house of a strong man. In order to plunder the house, the strong man must be bound. That hardly puts the thief and the strong man on the same team. It’s just silly. This parable actually inspires the title of Ched Myers’ commentary on the Gospel of Mark. In the 80’s, Ched offered a revolutionary view of Scripture by reading it through a political lens. It’s brilliant. Here, the “strong man” represents any kind of power that oppresses, manipulates, and causes harm. Jesus is claiming that he is not only not in league with Satan, but that his view of Heaven has come to overthrow the political powers of this world. Is it any wonder that the political powers of his day concocted a mockery of a trial and sentenced him to a humiliating death meant to not only kill him, but discredit him, too?
How could the thief in the parable overcome a “strong man?” Well, I think it’s clear. It means the thief is stronger. This is where my faith is living today. I see so much icky-ness in our society. It’s honestly really discouraging at times. However, two things give me hope: one is that I’ve read enough history to know that the icky-ness of the day is not new nor unique. This has happened before and will likely continue to happen after I die. Second, I choose to believe Jesus’ message of love, forgiveness, service, and action can neutralize all the gross manifestations of insecurity and fear I see today. I choose to believe that the “strong man” isn’t the strongest person in the room.
The Idolatry of the Family (3:21; 31-34)
This last part might be the most “lead balloony” of my triad of observations. I learned as a pastor that my sermons would be more effective if instead of letting people wrestle with my opinions, I got them to wrestle with the words of Jesus. And here they are: “Who are my mother and my brothers?” (3:33).
I call this the idolatry of the family. This shows up in collective cultures where intricate rules of honor/shame dictate proper behavior for children who essentially become extensions of their parents’ (usually the father’s) will. It’s hard to watch people I love try to live under the weight of moral duty their families place on them. And it isn’t just collective societies that do this. Here in America (the most individualistic society on the planet), Evangelicals and Catholics hold up the family as the height of good. Just do a google search and you will find hundreds of ministries with the word “family” in them. “Blood is thicker than water,” they say. I think they say that at least. It sounds like something they’d say.
Jesus disagrees. In this instance, Jesus’ family doesn’t approve of his choices. They think he’s crazy and intend to reel him back to his proper place (3:21). After that verse, we get Jesus’ confrontation with the Scribes and the parable of the Strong Man. But then Mark circles back to the question of family ten verses later. Jesus’ mother and brothers arrive and send someone to interrupt him while he’s teaching. We don’t really get many details about this encounter, Mark just says that Jesus replies: “Who are my mother and brothers?” Then he looks away from the messenger and addresses the crowd: “Here are my mother and my brothers! Whoever does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother.”
It’s so beautiful! In one quick encounter, Jesus breaks down social structures of survival and moral duty. It’s not that Jesus is anti-family. Clearly not! He is simply widening the definition to encompass all who love. For me, I’ve been invited into hundreds of intimate spaces where people share their complicated relationships with their family members. Some were abandoned as children. Others have been abused. Many simply find themselves as adults who don’t feel their parents or siblings are trustworthy. And all of it grieves me. However, here is the good news! Family isn’t just blood - according to Jesus, that is.
Ancient humanity needed families to survive the dangers of their environment. There is a reason we are biologically inclined to attach to our immediate caretakers. But survival wasn’t the case anymore for Jesus, and certainly not for us today. Spirituality necessarily moves us beyond unimaginative matters of survival. Now, stories of moral obligation to family aren’t all harmful. Honoring your parents feels super helpful. But notice that’s not simply a rule; it’s a manifestation of love. And Jesus expands that love even to our enemies (Matt. 5:44; Luke 6:27). This is a significant reframe of family. Yes, we all need guidance and support at times, but unfortunately our immediate families are not always the best resource. Personally, I am blessed with a family that is supportive and slow to insert their opinions about how I should live my life (which makes me more inclined to listen to them by the way!). But not everyone has a family that chooses to demonstrate trust and belief by offering loving support. And for them, I point to Jesus’ words.
Personally, I desire for our society to evolve in the direction Jesus is promoting. Our biological impulses to care for our immediate families aren’t the end goal; instead, they should serve as blueprints for how we love everyone. There is a deep connection that binds all human beings, even all creation if you care to look for it. And when our blood relatives aren’t able to control their impulses to control you, Jesus just showed us that you have permission to ignore them. If your family is more manipulative than loving, I recommend, for a time, loving them from a distance.
I know this was a long entry. I guess I had a lot of thoughts! I hope to keep it shorter in the future. We’ll see. Thanks for joining me on my journey of re-encountering Mark’s Gospel.