In the Gospels, Jesus often has hard words for those who want to follow him. He attacked the debt and purity codes which held the crowd in bondage. Now he is attacking the very heart of the Middle Eastern social order—the extended family as the unit of socialization.

Jesus’ family—his mother and brothers and sister—were worried about his safety. I believe they were real flesh and blood brother and sisters. When I read stories about the miraculous birth of the Buddha, I am reminded that miraculous birth stories are concocted to elevate the status of the messenger of God. That aside, it is not uncommon for people to see demons in people who are challenging their practices and values. Jesus just had that discussion with the Judean (not Jewish) leaders and cleverly turned the tables on them. The encounter reminded me in some way of the attacks in the Republican debates—the labels of lobbyist and corporate raider undercut the credibility of the candidate. In Mark the charge of being possessed by a demon is intended to discredit Jesus; however, the leaders would fail to undercut Jesus’ credibility and would have to crucify him. This is what his mother and brothers are worried about. He is shaking up the establishment and will ultimately pay the price. Continue reading →