Mark Study 17
The Unforgivable Sin
Mark Study #17 by Michael Spencer
Step into the study, pour yourself a cup of coffee, get comfortable and let's enjoy the Gospel of Mark. 
Our scripture this week is Mark 3:20-35 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." And the teachers of the law who came down from Jerusalem said, "He is possessed by Beelzebub ! By the prince of demons he is driving out demons." So Jesus called them and spoke 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 and carry off his possessions unless he first ties up the strong man. Then he can rob his house. I tell you the truth, all the sins and blasphemies of men will be forgiven them. But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; he is guilty of an eternal sin." He said this because they were saying, "He has an evil 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."
We are generally aware that Mark does not contain any birth narratives that introduce us to Jesus' family, but few students are prepared for Mark's unflattering portrait of Jesus' family's response to his early ministry. Modern Gospel scholars speak about the authenticity of a passage as related to the "criteria of embarrassment," i.e. those aspects of the Gospel story that would be the most embarrassing to the early Christians must be considered highly authentic, since it would have been obviously advantageous to leave them out. Included in this are Jesus' baptism by John the Baptist and the women as first witnesses of the resurrection. By this judgement, the reaction of Jesus' family to his ministry must be considered highly authentic, since few things are more embarrassing than the description of Jesus' mother and brothers announcing that he is "out of his mind."
This passage is also an excellent place to observe one of the intentional literary techniques present in the Gospel of Mark, namely "framing." This technique begins one event or saying, then diverts to another before returning to the first. Literary observers call it an "A-B-A" arrangement of material and it can be easily observed in this passage that "frames" a controversy story with two incidents regarding Jesus' family. Other examples include 4:1-20; 5:21-43; 6:7-29; 11:12-25; 14:53-72 (or 14:53-15:15; possible 14:17-31; 15:40-16:8). Mark's intentional use of this is undoubted and it can help us appreciate that the Gospels are literary compositions and not simply divine dictations.
The opposition to Jesus' ministry by the religious leaders has already been noted, but the explanation for why Jesus was opposed is given more detail here. But few Christians expect this to start with Jesus' family! Honest scholarship does find some interesting questions here. For instance, was it well known that many of Jesus' own family rejected his claim to be Messiah? He had at least 6 siblings according to Mark 6:3. And what about John 7:5? "For even his own brothers did not believe in him." We have a discussion in John 7 of Jesus' brothers encouraging Jesus to make his miracles a public display. Jesus rejects their advice, though he does go to Jerusalem when his brothers are out of the picture. There are hints in the Gospels that Jesus' brothers and mother at times traveled with him in the early ministry, but no clear word is given on what they thought of his ministry. Such a rejection by all or part of his family would have been an embarrassment to the early Christians and Jesus certainly did frequently speak of family rejection as an expected price of being in the Kingdom of God, but we should be cautious.
Mark is reporting that an early stage in Jesus' ministry, members of Jesus' family did not understand what he was doing and came to take him home. It is quite plausible to see the "family" in 3:21 and the mother and brothers" in 3:31 as two different groups. The first group seems clearly hostile ("they went to take charge of him") while Jesus' mother and brothers may be coming to consult with him or protect him. This may not be highly likely but it is more than allowable in the text. More likely is that Jesus' family did not understand him in the role of Messiah. Most of us can imagine if our own siblings rose to fame for these sorts of miracles! We would tend to be skeptical as well. The fact that Mary had experienced the events described in Luke did not mean that she would have immediately accepted or supported Jesus' ministry. It is quite possible she, like the other disciples, had to grow in her understanding of who Jesus was and what his ministry would be like. If Jesus had already created such a hostile reaction, her lack of support may be understandable from one who loved him.
At any rate, Mark's purpose is no secret. Everyone misses who Jesus is, from the religious leaders to his disciples to his family. Of course the reader has been told in the opening verse, but part of Mark's drama is to let the audience in on what everyone else cannot and will not see. To the eye and mind unaided by the Holy Spirit, Jesus is Liar or Lunatic. When God gives us the grace of faith, we know that Jesus is the Son of God. Christians should never, ever be surprised that others do not see what we see or grasp what we trust. Even Jesus' own family missed it, at least for a while. We should also not be surprised when those closest to us misunderstand or oppose our Christianity- even say we are out of our mind. Jesus often said that within the family, there would seldom be neutrality about him. The loyalty we owe family is strong, but Jesus taught that we should be willing to completely renounce it in order to obey the God of the Kingdom. Such radical allegiance will not be greeted quietly in many settings. Working with many International students, I have watched the struggle many face when they desire to profess faith in Christ, but know- especially in Muslim and Buddhist homes- that this will mean a break, perhaps a complete exile from parents and culture. We should not take such choices lightly and ought to pause to consider the slight price an of us pay for naming Jesus Lord in a Christianized culture.
Beelzebub is an interesting word. When the Israelites entered Canaan, they found an established and flourishing culture. Staying religiously separate from the Canaanites was a major problem in the Old Testament. The attraction of Ba-al, the most popular Canaanite God, was his power over all sorts of fertility and the crass sensuality of his worship. (Consult any standard Bible Encyclopedia or dictionary for more information on Ba-al.) Kings and commoners found some form of homage to Ba-al almost required and this is reflected in the Old Testament and in archaeology, where the evidence for extensive Ba-al worship among the Israelites is plentiful. But opposition to Ba-al was also common and this sometimes took the form of ridicule. Ba-al-ze-bul was a common household god form of Ba-al, translated "Lord of the house." Ba-al-ze-bub, however, meant "Lord of the flies" and had scatological overtones. The Jews had transformed this term into a general term of derision for a demonic power. Its relationship to Satan is hard to ascertain though it is probably reasonable to assume that the "prince of demons" and Satan are the same. Milton made Beelzebub a prince in service to Satan.
The accusation that Jesus was demon empowered was reasonable and also pays indirect tribute to the reality of Jesus' power. It was not sufficient to say that Jesus was a magician or a fraud, as modern critics surmise. The power and authority of Jesus was of such undeniable reality that an alternative explanation was required, one that included the source of such miracles. At this point the Pharisees demonstrate a habit of religious people that has been disastrous- the tendency to demonize those we do not understand or cannot agree with. Once demonized, the critic feels free to take whatever action is necessary to eliminate the threat. From this stance, Christianity has tarnished its reputation with a sea of blood, belonging both to those inside and outside of the faith. The crusades and the inquisition demonstrate this tendency. Once we conclude Satan is "in it or behind it" other considerations quickly vanish and the very worst is often done.
I would digress briefly at this point to say that this sort of thinking is again common in Christianity. Error and ignorance are common today, as are emotional manipulators, hypnotic pseudo-apostles and outright frauds and con-artists. Satan is certainly at work in the midst of much that happens in modern esoteric and errant movements. But we must stop short of demonizing and going to the mindset of the religious leaders. In many of these situations God does much good, glorifying his sovereign power and demonstrating his willingness to use flawed human vessels as his instruments. While this does not excuse the error it should stop us from being so quick to condemn all those who are wrong as being demonic. The emphasis on spiritual warfare that has returned to Christianity is good, but it carries with it the unfortunate side effect of making it easier to say someone is demonic than to say someone is simply wrong. It is just more fun to bring the devil into the middle of things. The fact is, Satan is at work everywhere and many of us who look critically at others (which is certainly appropriate) should be aware Satan is no less interested in us and may be closer than we think.
Jesus' answer to these critics is particularly powerful. He notes the absurd illogic of the claim that Satan inspired his ministry, since one of his prominent activities was the casting out demonic spirits! But this also demonstrated a glaring ignorance. The Messiah would be marked by tearing down the Kingdom of darkness, particularly through these very sorts of powerful acts. The religious leaders were seemingly saying that anyone who did the acts of the messiah would automatically qualify as demon possessed! I am reminded of the blanket rejection of the miraculous by many of today's religious leaders; insisting that anyone who accepts healings or prays for miracles must be an instrument of the devil or that anyone who causes division is Satanic. One thinks of the pope's condemnation of Luther. Just a day or two ago, I read a tirade against Billy Graham, accusing him of preaching a demonic gospel. The observation of Jesus in his illustrations of the house and the kingdom remind us of how foolish this sort of accusation becomes.
Verse 27 has been of unusual interest to many Christians in the business of casting out demons. It demands a separate treatment. Keep in mind that this is the third of three "parables" or illustrations Jesus is using to respond to the religious leaders criticism. It is not a passage giving the "how to" of demon expulsion. The Bible does not give such a manual and we ought not to canonize the cultural practices of the first century as standard practice for dealing with the demonic. Simple, straightforward prayer in the name of Jesus suffices. (I am surprised at how legalistic some of my freedom-loving brothers are when it comes to how to pray for anything involving the demonic. If its not done their way its not going to work. Let's not be magical- it is the power of God!) The tying up of the strong man is not an invitation to some sort of incantational binding of spirits, but a clear reference to Jesus' own Kingdom power and a foreshadowing of his work on the cross. Jesus has bound the strong man, and our ministry in his name is the plundering of the Kingdom of darkness. I would caution resistance to so-called "naming and binding" of spirits as a form of helping people. Again, simple and straightforward prayer in Jesus name is adequate. Our gyrations and incantations are just one more form of works righteousness and God doesn't need us to put on a show, no matter how wowed other people are by the spectacle.
Verses 28-29 are a quite different emphasis, however, and have given rise to an unwarranted amount of speculation, again, because the context of the passage is ignored. Blasphemy is the highest sin; a type of presumptive, premeditated direct insult at God himself that cannot simply be called sin alone. But why does Mark mention the phrase "blasphemy against the Holy Spirit?" The injection of the Holy Spirit seems somewhat "out of the blue," but remember that the religious leaders have brought up the subject of what spirit empowers and controls Jesus. Jesus is saying that he is possessed- by the Holy Spirit of God. Prayer for forgiveness of all sorts of sins and transgressions was part of the common prayers of Jews, particularly when they were ill. Jesus here raises the possibility that even in those times when one desires to have all sorts of sins forgiven, there is one transgression that will not be forgiven.
We should not be surprised, given Mark's overriding concern with who Jesus is, that the highest sin is a blasphemy against the Spirit who reveals Jesus Christ in the world. No one sees Jesus as the Son of God, from God, full of God and God incarnate unless the Holy Spirit reveals Jesus. Once such a revelation is made- and the miracles of Jesus were works of the Spirit intended to reveal him- what is the result if someone rejects the Son of God revealed? There is no higher blasphemy than to treat as false the ultimate and undeniable ground of all truth. It is like the drowning man who swims in a hostile ocean with no hope of rescue. Suddenly a helicopter appears and lowers a life-ring. "No, I will not accept it. You are here to kill me, not save me. You are evil, not good." And he refuses the rescue. What is the fate of such a person? This is Jesus' message to his enemies and all who reject him. (By the way, this sheds considerable light on another difficult passage, Hebrews 6:4-6.)
We finally note Jesus' radical redefinition of relationships within the Kingdom of God. Is it simply hyperbole to see his disciples are his family? What sort of "family values" is this teaching? WIthout a doubt, Jesus is saying that relationships within the Kingdom of God are deeper and more substantial than relationships of biology and social convention. Jesus' rather shocking pronouncements on family- spoken throughout his ministry- underline this again and again. Note Matthew 10:37 "Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me;..." or
Luke 14:26 "If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters--yes, even his own life--he cannot be my disciple." Such statements are disturbingly obvious in their meaning and cast a sobering judgement on the sort of Christianity-lite than is commonly sold from pulpits today. (Not very seeker-friendly statements ;-))
The Kingdom of God is the ultimate and eternal reality. Earthly experiences are illustrations, teaching devices meant to show us the real. Earthly family is an experience of 80+ years. The Kingdom of God is eternal. How could we not see the obvious truth that those who love the same heavenly Father and are born from the same "mother", i.e. the Holy Spirit and share the same kinsman-redeemer-brother, Jesus Christ and have the same life- eternal life from God- are family in the deepest sense of the word? And that the mark of this family is a passionate pursuit of the will and kingdom of God in this world? Our shock at these statements reveal how far we are from the Kingdom life Jesus described. We have adapted Christianity to our own cultural and personal preferences. Jesus disturbs us and calls us to a higher- much higher- kind of Kingdom living in our churches, ministries and families. It is out of this sort of vision of relationships in the Kingdom that much true ministry to one another- and the world- is born.
Questions
What might Jesus' family have been thinking?
Have you ever been misunderstood by someone close to you because you were a Christian?
What does John 7:5 tell us about evangelism?
What might Mary's reasons have been for coming to get Jesus at this point?
Remember this part of today's study? "To the eye and mind unaided by the Holy Spirit, Jesus is Liar or Lunatic. When God gives us the grace of faith, we know that Jesus is the Son of God. Christians should never, ever be surprised that others do not see what we see or grasp what we trust. Even Jesus' own family missed it, at least for a while." What is wrong with the statement "Well, any reasonable person should be able to be persuaded to become a Christian." How far can you persuade someone towards Christ? Why is the Holy Spirit absolutely necessary? What does this tell us about prayer in evangelism?
Michael mentioned the struggle many face in converting from Islam or Buddhism. How does the payment of this price affect the kind of Christians these folks become? How has the lack of such a price influenced American Christianity?
Michael said that calling Jesus demon empowered was an indirect evidence of his power. How?
What has been the historical results of demonizing those Christians disagree with or oppose?
What are the results of Christians saying homosexuals are demon possessed? Other religions? People involved in bizarre religions such as witchcraft? Kids listening to rock music?
Once at a concert, Michael heard a speaker say all Muslims were Satanic. How could such a statement be improved? What problems does such a statement cause?
Why does God often use people that are less than theologically, Biblically and even morally perfect? Does this mean we should overlook their errors?
Summarize Jesus' basic response to the idea that he was working miracles by the power of Satan?
How does our ministry as Christians fit into Jesus' illustration of binding the strong man?
Why are Christians prone to sensationalize prayer for healing or prayer for release from the demonic? Why is simple, straightforward prayer often belittled as ineffective? Did Jesus ever comment on this tendency elsewhere?
What is the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit? Why is it unforgivable?
Someone tells you they once prayed for Satan to take control of their soul so now they can never become a Christian. What is your response?
Michael often says that the person who is afraid they may have committed the unpardonable sin probably hasn't. Why?
Can we truthfully say to lost people that this sermon or lesson or witness may be their last opportunity to accept Christ?
What is your personal reaction to Jesus' strong words about family?
What are some ways the church can express the reality of Kingdom relationships?
Should Christians ever neglect their families to serve God? What about the effect on children of parents who give all their time to church work?
Does this passage mean we should treat unbelievers and fellow believers very differently? See Galatians 6:10.
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