X Sunday in Ordinary Time – Year B
Mark 3:20-35

9

Jesus went home with his disciples, and such a crowd collected that they could not even have a meal. When his relatives heard of this, they set out to take charge of him, convinced he was out of his mind.  The scribes who had come down from Jerusalem were saying, ‘Beelzebul is in him’ and, ‘It is through the prince of devils that he casts devils out.’ So he called them to him and spoke to them in parables, ‘How can Satan cast out Satan? If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot last. And if a household is divided against itself, that household can never stand. Now if Satan has rebelled against himself and is divided, he cannot stand either – it is the end of him. But no one can make his way into a strong man’s house and burgle his property unless he has tied up the strong man first. Only then can he burgle his house.  ‘I tell you solemnly, all men’s sins will be forgiven, and all their blasphemies; but let anyone blaspheme against the Holy Spirit and he will never have forgiveness: he is guilty of an eternal sin.’ This was because they were saying, ‘An unclean spirit is in him.’
His mother and brothers now arrived and, standing outside, sent in a message asking for him. A crowd was sitting round him at the time the message was passed to him, ‘Your mother and brothers and sisters are outside asking for you.’ He replied, ‘Who are my mother and my brothers?’ And looking round at those sitting in a circle about him, he said, ‘Here are my mother and my brothers. Anyone who does the will of God, that person is my brother and sister and mother.’

WHY EXORCISM
Fernando Armellini

Introduction

Since ancient times, the belief that evil was caused by malignant spirits led people to guard against their evil influences by resorting to magical practices, formulas, and the recitation of prayers, performing ritual acts such as destruction of statues, aspersion, spraying; everything to force the demons to leave. Exorcism, along with divination, was the essence of the Assyrian Babylonian religion. It was also practiced in Israel, where the disciples of the Pharisees successfully cast out demons (Mt 12:27). The Exorcism often bordered on magic. To increase its efficiency, invocation of names likely to contain divine power was added. Someone used the name of Jesus, sometimes getting good results (Mk 9:38), some other times causing the angry and aggressive reaction of the possessed (Acts 19:11-17).

Jesus heals the sick, and adapting to the current mentality, he resorts to exorcism, but he never performs magical gestures or esoteric rites. He does not pronounce incantations as the healers of his time did. He triumphs over evil only by the power of his word and asking them to have faith.

Exorcism should be practiced in the church in the same spirit. The belief that God would allow malicious spirits to take possession of either of his children is incompatible with belief in God who is Father. But there is no doubt that the “snake” spreading the poison of death is present in every human being from the moment of conception (Ps 51:7).

An exorcism is performed in the rite of baptism. It is the celebration of the victory already won by Christ on the spirit of evil. It is also the caress of the church to her child who now is going to struggle for life against the evil one. The fraternal community tells him: in this fight you’ll never be alone, we will all be at your side.

Gospel: Mark 3:20-35

“Who is this person?” is the question that, from the beginning of Mark’s Gospel, everyone is asking about Jesus. Who is—they ask—this man who casts out demons, teaches with authority, caresses the lepers, sits at table with sinners, not practices fasting, breaks the Sabbath precept and has the courage to challenge the scribes and Pharisees “watching them with indignation” (Mk 3:5)?

Two interpretations of this very enigmatic character’s identity are presented in today’s passage. The first is that of family members who are introduced at the beginning of the episode (vv. 20-21) and reappear at the end (vv. 31-35). The second is made by a delegation of scribes, probably sent by the Sanhedrin of Jerusalem to ask him an official account of his inexplicable position he assumed with regards to the law and religious institutions of his people (vv. 22-30).

We reconstruct the scene: Jesus is in a house—supposedly in Capernaum. He is surrounded by a large crowd and is exposing his “new doctrine.” The interest is such that people forget or do not even have time to take food (v. 20).

At this point, the scene is interrupted and moves to Nazareth. There the family came to know that Jesus, by his preaching and his works, is causing tensions and provoking serious problems. They left to fetch him and they interpreted what was going on saying: “He’s out of his mind!” (v. 21). An opinion causes worry, especially if one considers that in the group, with brothers and sisters, there is also the mother (v. 31).

Between the departure and arrival of these family members in Capernaum, the discussion of Jesus with the scribes from Jerusalem is inserted. These open the hostilities with heavy accusation, which is also their answer to everybody’s question: “Who is this?” He is a sinner—they assure; he is one in league with the prince of demons. Jesus replies with images and parables, speaks of Satan, a broken home who cannot stand, a house occupied by a strong man who is bound and ends with the enigmatic statement that sin cannot be forgiven.

Let’s examine the contents of the passage considering, first, the verses at the beginning and end that deal with family members. They made the trip “to take charge” of Jesus. How does one explain their decision?

A few months passed since he left Nazareth and travels throughout Galilee “preaching in the synagogues and driving out demons” (Mk 1:39), conflicting reports on his activities came in his hometown. Someone speaks of him with enthusiasm, but the most forward objections and remain baffled. All have now realized that his message is not in tune with the official doctrine of the scribes and of the Pharisees. His behavior does not conform to the sacred traditions of the elders. Some started to call him crazy and “Samaritan,” that is, a heretic (Jn 8:48,52). The fact that the Pharisees and the Herodians have already met to consider how to get rid of him is somewhat disturbing (Mk 3:6). There is therefore every reason to be worried. The family feels called into question; it asks whether it’s high time to recall him to order, to get him to adjust to the more conventional behaviors. In the Orient, the clan normally intervenes, a move led by the father or the eldest son.

When his mother, brothers and sisters arrive at Capernaum, Jesus is in the house, in the middle of a circle of people. They do not come in; they want to talk to him and expect him to come out.

Now the spatial image acquires a clear theological significance: there is a clear distinction between those outside and those inside, between the old and the new brothers, sisters and mother.

Relatives who are left out represent, in Mark’s intention, ancient Israel. Rightly, the evangelist does not mention Mary by name but simply called her “mother.” He considers her the symbol of the “woman Israel,” of the people from whom the Savior was born. Ancient Israel was caught by surprise by the Messiah of God. She saw all of her theological convictions and hopes accumulated over the centuries called into question. She felt called to conversion, to a radical change of mind and tried to reclaim Jesus, her son. She tried to put him back in the family, to bring him back into traditional patterns.

Jesus cannot accept it. He is not the one that has to go out. Those outside are the ones who must enter and accept the conditions put by God in order to belong to the new family, to the new mother Israel, the Christian community. They must abandon their dreams, sit around him as brothers and sisters, let his eyes scan them (v. 34), listen to his word and put themselves at the disposition of the Lord to fulfill his plan (v. 35). Who stays outside of this perspective, this “new home,” although biologically a child of Abraham, is neither his brother nor his sister nor his mother. He/She excludes himself/herself from the Israel of God.

These relatives are also those that belong only “materially” to the family of Jesus. They have their names written in the records of baptisms. They are convinced of knowing him because, since childhood, they grew up hearing about him, but they are not always “seated at his feet” to listen to him. They do not orient all their choices on his word. They try to adapt it to human “common sense” and when they do not agree with him, they do not follow him. They remain outside of the new home, even if they lead a life a little better than before.

In the middle of the passage (vv. 22-30), sandwiched between the departure and arrival of the relatives, a second group is introduced. They are the scribes who have made their opinion about Jesus and are spreading it among the people. He is possessed—they ensure—and performs healing in league with Beelzebub, the prince of demons.

For several centuries in Israel there was a widespread belief that all evil in the world was caused by an ordered array of demonic powers. They believed that Beelzebul was the leader of this “army of darkness.” Immediately below him in the hierarchy, were six archdevils, under whom other demons acted. These are personifications of all the provocative forces of evil: violence, arrogance, greed, sloth, lust. At a lower level there were the “malignant spirit” that caused diseases, misfortunes, calamities.

This was the language used at that time to formulate an explanation of the evil that exists in the universe and Jesus is adapting to the current mentality. To convey his message he recurs to the usual image: the “kingdom of God” and the “kingdom of Satan.” They face each other with their angelic armies deployed in battle. In fact it is the relentless struggle between the life-giving divine forces and impulses to evil, rooted in man, causing death. These diabolic and murderous forces, it is true, are embodied, that is, act in and through humans. Prime example is that of Peter: he is called “Satan” by Jesus (Mk 8:33) because he let himself be seduced by the wisdom of this world and rejected the judgments of God.

Jesus responds to the accusation of the scribes with an argument that, besides being uncontestable, is the principle that, at any time, allows one to determine who works according to God, and who is on the side of evil. The criterion for discerning is the pursuit of the good and of human life. Anyone who acts against man is moved by the devil.

It is easy for Jesus to prove that his works are from God, because he recovers, heals, gives life to man. His actions are therefore incompatible with the designs of Satan. Those who act on behalf of humanity, those who dress the naked, cure the sick, break bread with the hungry, that person, believer or not, can only be animated by the Spirit of God.

The second image that Jesus uses to refute the accusation of the scribes is that of a strong man who is defeated by a stronger one. The kingdom of the devil—he ensures—has its days counted; its end has already started because a vastly superior force for good has entered the world. Although Satan still seems to be the ruler, in fact he has already been dethroned, no longer dominates from the top. In fact, Jesus sees him “fall like lightning from heaven.” “The stronger man” has taken away the ability to harm (Lk 10:18-19).

These statements are an invitation to hope, a stimulus to grow in the certainty that God’s plan of salvation will be implemented, even if it will take a long time before this victory is manifested in its fullness. To think otherwise, to give up in the face of evil, to let the arms down, is to recognize that Jesus is less powerful than evil.

The group of scribes who believes Jesus is an agent of Satan represents those who, then as now, are fighting against those who, believing in God or not, take the side of man. Who oppresses man, enslaves him, always feels being put into question and threatened by the gospel of Christ. For this he reacts, becomes aggressive, defends his own position with all the tools of evil, with threat, insult, slander and even violence.

In concluding his own defense, Jesus makes a solemn statement: “Every sin will be forgiven except slandering the Holy Spirit” (vv. 28-30).

We emphasize, above all, the first part of the phrase. Jesus assures that every sin will be forgiven. The defeat of evil—he is certain about it—will be full, universal and definitive. What then is the sin against the Holy Spirit?

From what is said in v. 30, one can guess that Jesus accuses those who say that his work comes from evil, who argue that his speech acts against man, of this sin. Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is moving away from Jesus and his gospel believing that he indicates ways of death.

Jesus’ statement, of course, does not refer to the condemnation to hell. He talks about the present, not the future. He wants to stir the conscience and denounce the gravity of a choice contrary to God’s plan and to the impulse of the Spirit. To achieve his pastoral goal, he uses an impressive image, as the rabbis of his time used to do when they wanted to inculcate an important truth. He does not threaten eternal punishment: he warns of a present danger.

https://sundaycommentaries.wordpress.com

The cost of being a disciple of Jesus today

In the gospels there are many different images and titles used to describe Jesus. He spoke about himself as being the Good Shepherd, the Bread of life and the Light of the World; just to name a few. However, this Sunday there is a description of him in the gospel with which we are not too familiar, but it is very clearly stated. The crowd of people is so big that Jesus is not even able to have a meal. When his family hear this, ‘they set out to take charge of him, convinced he was out of his mind.’ If we said this today about someone, it would not exactly a compliment!

Through the way he lived and spoke, Jesus offered the people of his time and us today a message and set of values that are very radical and challenging. He did and said a lot of things that were not popular or acceptable according to the Jewish Law of the time. He went out of his way to be with people who were seen as sinners and outcasts. He spent time and ate with tax collectors. He publically spoke to and deliberately touched those who were sick, even lepers. He made time to be with and welcomed women into his company. We think of the woman who touched the hem of his garment, the woman who anointed him with oil and the woman he met at the well. So obvious was his unusual and radical behaviour that the Pharisees pointed their finger at him to publically condemn and criticise him. As far as they were concerned, Jesus was certainly out of his mind and as we just heard, even his family were concerned about him.

The message and life Jesus are very radical and demanding, even for us today. We are asked to follow a man who loved us so much that he gave himself to us at a meal, who bent as low as a slave to wash our feet and who then gave his life for us on a cross.  To follow Jesus and the example of his life calls for great courage and conviction on our part. There is always the danger that people might think that we too are out of our minds if say we are following Jesus.

On March 24th this year a gunman took and held hostages in supermarket in France, even killing some of them. A police man, called Arnaud Beltrame freely offered to take the place of the remaining hostages. In the end he gave his own life to save others. He was described as showing exceptional courage and selflessness as he sacrificed himself to save these people.  Jesus said, No one can have greater love than to lay down their lives for their friends. This police man did not even know any of the people he died for and saved.

Was he out his mind as well like Jesus? Or did he have the courage of his convictions and faith to live and die as Jesus has shown us? 

Michael Moore OMI
https://oblates.ie