Have you ever had someone say you were crazy? I don’t mean as a joke, or in a light-hearted way, but where they were seriously claiming that you didn’t have all your marbles, that you were mentally ill and weren’t in full control of yourself. They were claiming that the things you were doing were not rational or logical. Those accusations can be hurtful and irritating, to say the least, especially if they come from family members. As we see in our Gospel passage for today, Jesus understands that, as He was similarly accused.
As our Scripture opens, Jesus and His disciples had been so busy with the ministry, healing the sick that were brought to Him, and teaching them God’s Word. So many people were coming to Jesus with their needs and to hear His words, that He and the disciples were finding it difficult to take any breaks, even to eat (vs. 20). When some of Jesus’s family heard about this, they started saying that He was crazy, out of His mind. They felt a “normal” and “rational” person would take breaks, eat three meals a day, and take days off. They thought Jesus was crazy because He was so involved in His ministry. They didn’t like it that He allowed the crowds to always impose on Him, and His loving attention to them and their needs didn’t seem rational. People were talking, and this was an embarrassment to them, so they came to take Jesus home, forcibly if necessary (vs. 21).
Jesus did not allow their comments and accusations to stop Him or His ministry, though. He knew what He had come to do, and He would not allow Himself to get sidetracked. Sometimes when we determine to serve the Lord with all of our heart, perhaps even go into full-time ministry of one type or another, we will find others, particularly the unsaved, who will say we are crazy. They can’t understand why anyone would give up a summer vacation to work in VBS, who will spend their evenings after work helping in the church or preparing Bible study or Sunday School lessons. They certainly call you crazy if you give up a good job to become a pastor or missionary! Jesus’s family called Him crazy and wanted Him to stop.
When the scribes and Pharisees heard that His family thought Him a bit crazy, they added their own accusations, saying that the healings and miracles were done through the power of Beelzebub, which was another name for Satan (vs. 22). The Pharisees and religious leaders denied that Jesus’s power and authority came from God and that He was the Messiah. Their pride stood in the way of their believing, so they wanted to destroy His popularity with the people.
Jesus responded by pointing out their lack of logic. Why would Satan want to cast his own demons out of someone? That would defeat his purpose, showing a division in his kingdom (vs. 23-27). However, because He was able to cast the demons out showed He had more power than they had. One must be stronger than someone else in order to go into their home and rob them. Jesus is stronger than Satan. He defeated Satan at the Cross. Jesus can enter his domain and take back the people he has held captive.
Jesus then taught the crowd that every sin that people commit can be forgiven except blasphemy against the Holy Spirit (vs. 28-30). Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is attributing to the devil what is the work of the Holy Spirit. It is a heart-attitude of unbelief and unrepentance, deliberate, ongoing rejection of the work of the Holy Spirit. If someone deliberately slanders the work of the Holy Spirit as He is pointing to the deity and redemptive work of Jesus Christ, he cannot be forgiven because he wholly rejects the only basis of God’s salvation.
The Pharisees rejected the work of the Holy Spirit, willfully choosing not to believe in Jesus as their Savior under any condition. They chose to remain without forgiveness for their sins. One must be so calloused, perverse, and debased to so trod upon God’s Word and deeds, and to attribute Jesus’s words and deeds to Satan.
As the Scripture passage closes, Jesus’s family again tried to call Him away (vs. 31-35). Jesus then pointed out to them what is really important. They may be His physical brothers, but a spiritual relationship with Him transcends the physical family. This spiritual family is open to all who come to Him in repentance and faith. Are you a part of that family? Have you accepted Jesus Christ as your own personal Savior? Do not let your heart become hardened and calloused like the Pharisees. Turn to Jesus today and ask Him to save you from your sins, becoming a part of His family.
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