JESUS CAUGHT IN THE MIDDLE

Psalm 130; 2 Corinthians 4:13-5:1; Mark 3:20-35

3rd Sunday after Pentecost, June 9, 2024

Rev. Dr. Ritva  H. Williams

This morning we meet Jesus caught in the middle of a crowd clamoring for his attention. They are so persistent, Jesus can’t even grab a bite to eat. At the edge of the crowd is his family, come to take him away because they fear he has lost his mind. At the edge of the crowd are some scribes from Jerusalem who condemn Jesus as an agent of Beelzebul, the prince of demons. What on earth has Jesus been up to draw this kind of criticism? 

Here’s a quick rundown of Jesus’ activity in the first three chapters of Mark’s Gospel. He was baptized by John, spent 40 days in the wilderness, returned to Galilee proclaiming the good news of God, called his first disciples, and healed a man of an unclean spirit in the synagogue on the Sabbath, understood a preaching tour of Galilee and touched a person with leprosy restoring them to community — that’s all in the first chapter. In next chapter, Jesus heals a person who is paralyzed by forgiving their sins, calls Levi the tax collector to follow him, dines with tax collectors and sinners, is criticized for not fasting, and defends his disciples when they are accused of being sabbath-breakers. The third chapter begins with the story of Jesus healing the man with the withered hand in the synagogue on the Sabbath which we heard last Sunday. That’s how we get to this scene in which Jesus is caught in the middle between adoring crowds, his deeply concerned family, and the judging scribes. Jesus’ mission is profoundly inclusive, and butts up against social custom, religious practices and laws. 

Jesus responds first to the scribes, not in plain speech but in parables — the language of metaphor and mystery. He asks, “How can Satan cast out Satan?” Everyone knows that divided kingdoms and houses are not able to stand. Kingdoms and houses that try to conquer themselves self-destruct. If Satan tries to conquer himself he too will self-destruct. In plain speech, Jesus is telling the scribes their accusation is absurd illogical nonsense. They would do better to think of Jesus’ ministry as plundering a strong man’s house after capturing and tying up the strong man.  

Jesus closes his response to the scribes with an incredible piece of good news: “people will be forgiven for their sins and whatever blasphemies they utter.” Our English translation has left out an important Greek word, panta, which means all. Here Jesus says plainly that ALL the sins and ALL the blasphemies humans commit will be forgiven. All sins and all blasphemies — well, except one: blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. 

Blasphemy involves intentionally make false statements in order to defame someone, intentionally and maliciously speaking evil about them. Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is doing what the scribes just did: attributing the enabling and empowering activities of Holy Spirit to Satan, Beelzebul, demons, and/or evil spirits. If you’re worried about having committed this sin, almost surely you have not. All other sins and blasphemies will be forgiven. 

At this point the crowd points out that Jesus’ family is still waiting outside and asking for him so they can take him away. Nothing they have seen or heard has changed their mind that he must be out of his mind.  We shouldn’t be surprised therefore that he does not go out to them. Instead he turns to the crowd around him and says, “Here are my mother and my brothers. Whoever might do the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.” 

This is good news on several counts. (1) Participation in the family of Jesus is not dependent on birth or bloodlines, clan or tribal affiliation. Everyone in the crowd is a part of Christ’s family. (2) Doing the will of God is possible for anyone and everyone in that crowd gathered around Jesus. (3) It is significant that in the family gathered, around Jesus there are no fathers — no patriarchs to exercise life and death power over the others.  As Jesus says in Matthew 23:6, “Call no one your father on earth, for you have one Father — the one in heaven.” This is a family in which all persons relate to one another as siblings and nurturers, learning to love one another as Christ loves us. 

If all the talk of Beelzebul, demons and Satan is off putting, remember it was the scribes who brought it up. Jesus’s response is given in parables and metaphors, not plain speech. Somewhat closer to plain speech is Jesus’ declaration in Luke 4:18 that “Holy Spirit has anointed me to bring good news to the poor, proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sign to the blind, to let the oppressed go free.” What that looks like in real life is Jesus healing people from all walks of life of physical, psychological, emotional, and spiritual trauma and pain. The good news of Christ’s work is it that focuses on all people without exception, but especially on those who are most vulnerable, and most marginalized, with the goal of restoring them to community.

The good news is that even after Jesus’ death and resurrection this mission and work continues. In our reading from 2 Corinthians, the Apostle Paul assures his readers that in the midst of life’s afflictions and confusions, even in the midst of persecution and violence, the light of Christ continues to shine in our hearts, generating hope so that we do not lose heart. Even as our outer nature wastes away, Holy Spirit abides, renewing our inner nature day by day, transforming us by small degrees into the image of God that each of us is intended to be. 

Part of that transformation involves confronting the demons in our lives.  Let me be clear, I do not believe that demons are unclean spirits or ghosts out there trying to invade our bodies and take over our minds and souls. Metaphorically speaking, however, we all have demons. We are all captive to, what Father Richard Rohr calls, “stinking thinking” which he describes as a universal, non-rational, destructive addiction. (Breathing Under Water, xxiii). Stinking thinking manifests in dysfunctional thoughts and behaviors that make us miserable, hurt our bodies, minds and souls, mess up our relationships, and can lead to tragedy or violence. Our individual stinking thinking is formed, aided and abetted by stinking thinking in our families, communities, and institutions. Like Jesus we get caught in the middle. Overwhelmed by stinking thinking we turn to eating, drinking, using, gambling, video games, shopping, surfing the internet, incessant gossiping, becoming a workaholic or whatever addiction promises the quickest relief. Jesus’ promise of freedom from all that oppresses us includes liberation from stinking thinking, and is where most of our spiritual transformation must take place. That is the inner nature Christ and Holy Spirit are working to renew day by day. 

Let me close with paraphrase of Psalm 130, based in part on the work of Eugene Petersen and in part on the work of Nan Merrill.

Help, God—I’ve hit rock bottom!
   Lord, hear my cry for help!
Open your ears to my voice.
    Listen to my cries for mercy.

If you, God, kept records on wrongdoings,
    who would stand a chance?
As it turns out, you are ever-ready to forgive, 

     so that we might be healed.

    That’s why you’re worshiped.

I wait for you, O Lord, my sou waits,

    in your living Word is my hope.

My soul waits for the Lord,

as one awaits the birth of a child, 

or as one awaits the fulfillment of their destiny.

O Beloved Child of God, wait and watch for the Lord,

    who brings steadfast love, 

    grace and mercy in abundance.  

Then will you be released from sin, 

    renewed in thought, word and deed, 

    to shine with the love and light of Christ.

Amen.