This coming Sunday is the 10th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Lectionary Year B. The translation used for all liturgies in Catholic Churches here in the United States, is “The New American Bible.” As help to readers, the editors add some headings to give the reader a macro-sense of the text. Our gospel passage falls in a section labeled, “The Mystery of Jesus.” Possibly because the cast of characters that are somewhat mystified by Jesus include the crowds, his family, and Scribes. But the story of Jesus, the mystery of the Incarnation, is still unfolding. The Gospel of Mark has only begun.

After his baptism by John and the temptation in the wilderness, Jesus begins his public ministry: “Jesus came to Galilee proclaiming the gospel of God: ‘This is the time of fulfillment. The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.’ ” (Mark 1:14-15). Jesus calls disciples, heals Peter’s mother-in-law, casts out demons, heals lepers and a paralytic, sends the disciples out on a healing mission, and begins to encounter challenges and “push back” from the Jerusalem authorities represented by the Scribes. And, this brings us to the passage that comprises our Sunday gospel reading.

As Jesus came down from the mountain with his twelve companions, “Again (the) crowd gathered, making it impossible for them even to eat.” The word had spread throughout the region of this Galilean miracle worker and teacher. So not for the first time, Jesus and the disciples are inundated with people wanting a healing, to know if the rumors and stories are true, and with their own worries and hopes. Jesus as also attracted the attention of the Jerusalem authorities who wonder if this is something real or just another “wanna’ be” who will lead them to ruin. As the people assemble, Mark informs us of a variety of reactions:

• His relatives have concerns about/for Jesus (more on this later)
• Apparently the Scribes have already heard/seen enough and are sure he is possessed (and more on this later), and
• We are left to wonder what the disciples think of all this.

A Literary Note

It is not without purpose that the story dealing with Jesus’ relatives (Mark 3:20 ff. and 31–35) is interrupted by the account of the Beelzebul controversy (Ch. 3:22–30). The insertion of the incident involving the scribes from Jerusalem between the earlier and later phases of the family narrative is likely deliberate and serves to raise the stakes and the tension for the scene as a whole. The packaging of these two encounters suggests that Jesus’ relatives who declare “He is out of his mind” (v.21) are not unlike the scribes who attribute his extraordinary powers to collusion with Beelzebul, the prince of the demons (He is possessed by Beelzebul, v.22). What the accusations have in common is that the underlying intent is to prevent Jesus from continuing his mission of proclaiming the Good News – regardless of the underlying intent of their intervention. It also sets the stage for what it will mean to truly be “family” with Jesus.

Also the pericope has been arranged in a chiastic structure in which we encounter the characters:

Crowd
Family
Scribes
The parables of Satan’s end (vv.23-27)
Scribes
Family
Crowd

Image credit: “Mocking of Christ” by Ciambue | 1280 |Louvre, Paris | PD-US