sign in sign up
<<
Home , Mark 3

BaptistWay Press® Premium Commentary

By Dr. Stephen G. Hatfield Pastor, First Baptist Church Lewisville, Texas

Studies in The reMARKable Journey Begins (-3)

Lesson Thirteen The Family of God

Focal Text Mark 3:31-35

Background :46-50

Main Idea was not rejecting His earthly family. He was teaching us that a spiritual connection is stronger than a biological connection.

Question to Explore How can I know God’s will?

Quick Read Life’s greatest relationship is Jesus. Life’s greatest family is the church. And life’s greatest goal is to do God’s will.

Introduction My wife, Marcie, and I have five children—four daughters and one son. They are all married. We also have fifteen grandchildren and will have sixteen before summer rolls around. The remarkable thing is they live near us—five blocks, one mile, and two miles.

One daughter and our son live in neighboring cities. I told them both it was no big deal—we would see them on Christmas and Easter. We divide the grands into four Page 1 of 7 Premium Commentary. The reMARKable Journey Begins--Lesson Thirteen. Copyright © 2020 BAPTISTWAY PRESS©. A MINISTRY OF THE Baptist General Convention of Texas. Go to www.baptistway press.org or call 1-866-249-1799 toll-free for additional study materials for all ages. This lesson is not to be sold or distributed beyond the subscription agreement. The copyright notice and identifying information in this note must be included on any copies made. Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations in Premium Commentary are from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 Biblica. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved. Mark 3:31-35, The Family of God

batches, based on age. We do not call the roll very often for fear we will leave someone out. Marcie has even considered tattooing their names and birthdates on her forearms.

It’s evident family is a big deal to us. We are fortunate in that all our kids are close by. We consider it a blessing to have them live near us. We see each other quite often. We help when needed to make sure everyone is where they are supposed to be when they are supposed to be there. As close-knit as our family of twenty-seven is, our family dynamic pales in comparison to the priority placed on family life in times. It was a priority that Jesus turned upside down.

Commentary

As mentioned in last week’s lesson, the structure of this week’s passage continues a technique where Mark introduces a story, and then interrupts it before bringing it to a conclusion. (See also 5:21-43 and 6:37-41.) He uses this method to emphasize points from both narratives. In this case, the accusation that Jesus is possessed by demonic spirits (3:22-30) is sandwiched between two passages that describe the attitude of Jesus’ own family (3:20-21; 31-35). In 3:20-21, Mark describes Jesus’ extended family traveling from to to confront Jesus. Mark then abruptly turns to the discussion between Jesus and the Jewish authorities in 3:22-30. Then just as abruptly, Mark switches back to the discussion between Jesus and his extended family in 3:31-35.

All in the Family? (3:31)

3:31. Scholars have long debated the motivations and identity of Jesus’ family. Various interpretations concerning their relationship to Jesus emerged in the early church. Some suggest the brothers mentioned here were Joseph’s sons, thus protecting the doctrine of the virgin birth. Others suggest they were cousins. The most natural understanding is they were younger half-. Four of these brothers are named and sisters are mentioned in :3. John 7:3-5 tells us the brothers of Jesus did not believe in his mission. The omission of Joseph in this passage suggests he had died.

A New Understanding of Family (3:32-35)

3:32-35. Jesus appears aloof and distant in these verses. His words and attitude do depart from mainstream Judaism. The family bond was impenetrable. In many places today, it is normal for children to live close to parents, perhaps even in the same house. The family unit could be a business endeavor. N. T. Wright comments:

Loyalty to the family was the local and specific out-working of loyalty to Israel as the people of God. Break the link, and you’ve undermined a

Page 2 of 7 Premium Commentary. The reMARKable Journey Begins--Lesson Thirteen. Copyright © 2020 BAPTISTWAY PRESS©. A MINISTRY OF THE Baptist General Convention of Texas. Go to www.baptistway press.org or call 1-866-249-1799 toll-free for additional Bible study materials for all ages. This lesson is not to be sold or distributed beyond the subscription agreement. The copyright notice and identifying information in this note must be included on any copies made.

Mark 3:31-35, The Family of God

major pillar in the way in the first century think and feel about the world and themselves.1

The family traveled to Capernaum for one reason—to find Jesus, to take Him back to Nazareth, and to put a stop to His hurtful behavior. If we do not read 3:33-35 “as deeply shocking, you haven’t got the message.”2

Jesus did not reject His family—He enlarged it. He opened his family to include anyone who followed God’s will. Apparently, His blood relatives came to understand and to accept this family model. After the cross and resurrection, Luke described the believers who gathered in : “These all with one mind were continually devoting themselves to prayer, along with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers” (Acts 1:14). Raymond Brown concludes: “Not blood, but faith, binds together the family of Christ.”3

Even though Jesus defined “family” as anyone who joined Him in his mission, the idea of family referring to blood relatives only is still alive and well. In Forrest Carter’s description of depression-era life in the 1930s, he recounts a conversation of a grandfather explaining the concept of “kin” to his grandson:

Granpa said back before his time “kinfolks” meant any folks that you understood and had an understanding with, so it meant “loved folks.” But people got selfish, and brought it down to mean just blood relatives; but that actually it was never meant to mean that.4

Jesus’ stance on the definition of family is far different from what we expect or want to hear. This passage does not give us tips to make our blood relatives happier and more prosperous. However, if we are looking for God’s grander vision for the family, then we have come to the right place. Garland asserts, “God rejects the exclusiveness and selfishness that is often whipped up by biological kinship and claims that the anonymous crowds can become family to him and to one another.”5

Illustration: A reporter’s interview of two gang members living in a large American city reflects a similar but perverted understanding of family bonds. They were first cousins, who had been raised together in the same home by their grandmother but somehow wound up as members of rival gangs. They confessed that they would not hesitate to do harm to the other if the situation or the orders of the gang required it. The dedication to the gang family would override the commitment to blood relatives. They defined family according to their common purpose rather than according to blood relationships. Jesus’ definition of family is similar: Our shared commitments to God tie us more closely together than biological kinship. The key difference between the gang family and the family of God is the commitment to live out the will of the Father, to bring good rather than to others.6 Page 3 of 7 Premium Commentary. The reMARKable Journey Begins--Lesson Thirteen. Copyright © 2020 BAPTISTWAY PRESS©. A MINISTRY OF THE Baptist General Convention of Texas. Go to www.baptistway press.org or call 1-866-249-1799 toll-free for additional Bible study materials for all ages. This lesson is not to be sold or distributed beyond the subscription agreement. The copyright notice and identifying information in this note must be included on any copies made.

Mark 3:31-35, The Family of God

William Barclay comments on four things that constitute true kinship:7

1) True kinship is found in a common experience. Anyone who did the will of God was included in Jesus’ family. Note “anyone,” not just the twelve, was included here. Obedience alone does not earn the kinship; it only proves it.

2) True kinship lies in a common interest. A believer’s commitment to read God’s Word may wane over time. If you connect believers together to read and discuss God’s Word, then the common interest of understanding Scripture motivates people to know more about Jesus.

3) True kinship lies in a common obedience. The twelve were made up of a very diverse group. Matthew, the tax-collector, and should have hated each other and perhaps they did at one time. But their commitment to Jesus made them brothers.

4) True kinship lies in a common goal. Believers will have their differences. A common goal brings us together. Our common goal should be to take the to a lost and dying world. Surely, we can rally around that goal.

Conclusion

I will not use Mark 3:31-35 as the text of a Mother’s Day (and likewise for a Father’s Day sermon). Garland said it well:

In an age when the fabric holding nuclear families together is so threadbare, we might wish that Jesus had given us ten tips on how we ought to relate to family members instead of giving his own family the brush-off.8

How do we present a balanced view of the family considering Jesus’ own words? He does seem to give his own family a terse response. In Matthew 8:21-22, Jesus tells a would-be follower who asked for time to bury his father to “allow the dead to bury their own dead.”

Yet, there are examples where Jesus was vigilant in his support for family life. He condemned the practice of dodging the responsibility to care for one’s parents in their old age (:9-13). When He healed the man from the country of the Gerasenes, He sent him back to reunite with his family (:1-20). When you read Jesus’ comments concerning divorce, there is no question—Jesus supported steps to reconciliation (Mark Page 4 of 7 Premium Commentary. The reMARKable Journey Begins--Lesson Thirteen. Copyright © 2020 BAPTISTWAY PRESS©. A MINISTRY OF THE Baptist General Convention of Texas. Go to www.baptistway press.org or call 1-866-249-1799 toll-free for additional Bible study materials for all ages. This lesson is not to be sold or distributed beyond the subscription agreement. The copyright notice and identifying information in this note must be included on any copies made.

Mark 3:31-35, The Family of God

10:1-12). His acceptance and love of children affirms His commitment to the family unit (:13-16).

How can we apply this week’s passage to strengthen the lives of families today?

A Matter of Priority

Jesus was not suggesting believers should abandon their families in order to serve God. He commanded us to put God’s will above everything else in life—including family ties. Jesus was not being hateful when he said, “If anyone comes to me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes and even his own life, he cannot be my ” (Luke 14:26). This is an example of a figure of speech called hyperbole. It is an exaggeration; an overstatement intended to shock and challenge one’s mindset. It is God’s will for us to care for our families and provide for their needs. But we cannot allow our loved ones to steer us away from the clear-cut will of God.

This passage marks the appearance of a new family—the church. Spiritual relationships supersede blood relationships. The family’s appearance in Capernaum is worth a careful look. Mark does not explicitly tell us why his family came to get him (other than the reason given in 3:21: he had lost his senses). They may have come because they wanted to protect him. Families often close ranks for this very reason. In their minds, they wanted to save Jesus from himself. His family wanted him to stay put in the familiar surroundings of their home in Capernaum. The Jewish authorities wanted to put Jesus where they could monitor his every word and step. “His enemies put him in the world of hate, his family, in the world of love. Jesus would not stay where they put him; he went where God led him.”9

Jesus knew from the Old Testament that commitment to God must be the priority if there came a time when one had to choose between God and family. At times, Jesus’ call to discipleship involved leaving families and homes (Mark 10:28-30). Johnnie C. Godwin states: “Jesus’ own family had a right motive, but a wrong purpose that would interfere with God’s will. So, Jesus did not respond to the pleas of his family.”10

Illustration: When I officiate a wedding, I always make it part of the service to emphasize putting God’s will above all else. When I married 45 years ago, the pastor who conducted our wedding gave us some advice. I have passed along this counsel every time I officiate a ceremony. I personalize it for each couple. The counsel goes like this:

“Stephen, there is no safer, no better place for Marcie to be in your life as your wife, than for her to be second, provided God is first and you are seeking to please him in all you say and do. And Marcie, there is no safer, no better place for Stephen to be in your life as your husband, provided God is first and you are seeking to please him in all you say and do.” Page 5 of 7 Premium Commentary. The reMARKable Journey Begins--Lesson Thirteen. Copyright © 2020 BAPTISTWAY PRESS©. A MINISTRY OF THE Baptist General Convention of Texas. Go to www.baptistway press.org or call 1-866-249-1799 toll-free for additional Bible study materials for all ages. This lesson is not to be sold or distributed beyond the subscription agreement. The copyright notice and identifying information in this note must be included on any copies made.

Mark 3:31-35, The Family of God

Then I add the following words: “We need to remember God has no desire to be first in your life. If he is first, then that means there is a second, a third, and so on. God desires to be THE priority in your lives. When he is the only priority in your life, then everything else will fall into place.

Illustration: If you were asked to describe in one word, what would that word be? Consider the following answers:

Rules. Christianity is a set of rules. If you obey, then you go to heaven. If you don’t, you go to you-know-where. The rules are in the Bible, so get started learning what the rules are.

Love. Christianity is love. The Bible says God is love, so there you go. Like the song says, “All you need is love.”

Good. Christianity is being good. If you are kind to people, if you help people, then you show the world your goodness. That’s what Christianity is.

I have a problem with each of the above descriptions of Christianity. If it’s all about rules, then I’m out of the running. I’m not smart enough to know, much less obey, all the rules.

If it’s all about love, then what kind of love do you mean? Brotherly love? Sexual love? How do you define God’s love?

If it’s all about being good, then how good do I really have to be? Gooder (this is bad grammar, but you know what I mean) than you? How many good things am I required to do every day?

Relationship. This word describes Christianity best. When you describe Christianity as a relationship, then it all makes sense. Following the rules set out in the Bible, loving others, and doing good deeds come naturally if I understand Christianity as a relationship with the , Jesus the Christ. Considering Jesus’ own words, think in terms of relationship.

“Whoever does the will of God, he is my brother and sister and mother” (Mark 3:35.)

“Do not be amazed that I said to you, ‘You must be born again’” (John 3:7). “Whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it at all” (Mark 10:15).

Christianity is knowing Jesus. You and I are part of God’s family.

Page 6 of 7 Premium Commentary. The reMARKable Journey Begins--Lesson Thirteen. Copyright © 2020 BAPTISTWAY PRESS©. A MINISTRY OF THE Baptist General Convention of Texas. Go to www.baptistway press.org or call 1-866-249-1799 toll-free for additional Bible study materials for all ages. This lesson is not to be sold or distributed beyond the subscription agreement. The copyright notice and identifying information in this note must be included on any copies made.

Mark 3:31-35, The Family of God

This passage is difficult. I am one who puts a premium on the relationships within my family. I have never had to choose between God’s will and my family, and I pray I never have to face such a situation. But these words which were true for the first-century believer, are just as valid for those of us who follow Jesus in the present day. N. T. Wright’s words give me pause:

How easy it is to slide back again into a sense of belonging, of group identity, that comes from something other than loyalty to Jesus. We substitute longstanding friendship, membership in the same group, tribe, family, club, party, social class or whatever it may be. But the call to be ‘around’ Jesus, to listen to him, even if ‘those outside’ think us crazy, is what matters. The church in every generation, and in every place, needs to remember this and act on it.11

Meet the Writer: Dr. Stephen G. Hatfield Stephen G. Hatfield lives in Lewisville, Texas, where he has served as the pastor of the First Baptist Church since 1993. Stephen and his wife, Marcie, have five married children and fifteen grandchildren. He is a graduate of Ouachita Baptist University (B.A.) and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary (M.Div., Ph.D.). BaptistWay Press®

See www.baptistway press.org for additional study materials on

The reMARKable Journey Begins

and more than fifty other Bible studies by BaptistWay Press®, or call 1-866-249-1799 (M-Thurs 8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., Fri 8:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. central time).

1 N. T. Wright, Mark for Everyone (Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2004), 39. 2 Ibid., 40. 3 Raymond B. Brown, Mark: The Savior for Sinners (Nashville: Convention Press, 1978), 44. 4 Quoted in David E. Garland, The NIV Application Commentary: Mark (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1996), 144-5. 5 Ibid., 140. 6 Ibid., 145. 7 William Barclay, “The ” Daily Bible Study Series, rev. ed. (Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1975), 82-3. 8 Garland, 139. 9 Brown, 45. 10 Johnnie C. Godwin, “Mark” The Layman’s Bible Book Commentary (Nashville Press, 1979), 40. 11 Wright, 40. Page 7 of 7 Premium Commentary. The reMARKable Journey Begins--Lesson Thirteen. Copyright © 2020 BAPTISTWAY PRESS©. A MINISTRY OF THE Baptist General Convention of Texas. Go to www.baptistway press.org or call 1-866-249-1799 toll-free for additional Bible study materials for all ages. This lesson is not to be sold or distributed beyond the subscription agreement. The copyright notice and identifying information in this note must be included on any copies made.