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1 Peter 2:20b "But when you do good and suffer, if you take it patiently, this is commendable before God."

Day 73 – Mark 3

“But when you do good and suffer, if you take it patiently, this is commendable before God.” 1 Peter 2:20b

FEW FULLY UNDERSTOOD

The religious leaders of the land could not fully comprehend who Jesus was and what He did. They tried to check His work, time and again. But what about His own family? How did they fare? Did they know how to appreciate Jesus for who He was? The following text does not suggest that Jesus was fully understood by His own family.

“But when His own people heard about this,
they went out to lay hold of Him, for they said,
‘He is out of His mind.'”
MARK 3:21

1. The phrase “His own people” (“hoi par’ autou”)

a) This phrase literally means, “The ones who are with him”.

b) It can be a reference to close friends.

c) It can also be a reference to relatives.

d) It can also be used to describe “family”.

The context would suggest that the last option best explains the text.

2. The phrase “to lay hold of Him” (“kratesai”).

a) The phrase “to lay hold of Him” literally means “to seize Him”.

b) The infinitive form of the verb (krateo) suggests that the family came with a sense of purpose. The family came with the purpose of seizing Jesus from doing His work.

3. The opinion of His own family members

a) The phrase “out of his mind” well translates “existemi”.

b) They had determined that Jesus was out of His mind.

c) How could they have come to this conclusion?

i) Had they been influenced by the religious leaders?

ii) Had they acted out of fear of what the religious leaders might do to the family?

iii) How could they conclude with such definiteness that Jesus was out of His mind? The activities of Jesus were not those which a madman could perform!