At this point, Mark records an event that Luke seems to put into Jesus’ second year (Luke 8:19-20), but I think Mark is correct to put it here, as the final event Jesus had to endure during his forty days in the wilderness of people. Jesus’ family had come to his home, and, unable to get in due to the great multitude of folks gathered there, called to him (Mark 3:31; cp. 3:19-20). This, of course, places the context of a great multitude present in Capernaum during the annual holy days of the seventh month of the Jewish calendar year. Everyone couldn’t go to Jerusalem,[1] so Capernaum was also designated as a place for folks to gather for worship during the Feast of Tabernacles for folks in Galilee and the surrounding communities. In fact, even folks from Judea and Jerusalem gathered there for the annual festivities, even certain rulers and leading citizens from Jerusalem, no doubt to see that the events were conducted properly (Mark 3:7-8; cp. 3:22).
It seems that word had spread rapidly throughout the community that the Pharisees and scribes from Jerusalem had been telling everyone that Jesus had a demon. In other words, they were saying the stress of constantly dealing with the crowds had gotten to Jesus, and he had given leave of his senses. Therefore, when Jesus’ mother and brothers and sisters heard the rumor (Mark 3:21), they immediately went to Jesus’ place of residence in Capernaum to take him home to Nazareth, so he could rest (cp. Mark 3:31-32). Thus, if Jesus was living in his own home in Capernaum (cp. Luke 4:16, 23), but his family lived in Nazareth, where Jesus grew up (cp. Matthew 2:23; 13:54-56), Jesus’ family must have come to Capernaum for a reason other than to take Jesus into their custody. Therefore, to gather at an official worship site designated for the annual holy days would be a logical context for the multitudes that followed Jesus to hear what he had to say.
Many Christians today have a very romantic view of Jesus’ mother, Mary, and this prevents us from seeing what actually occurred here at the beginning of Jesus’ ministry. The long-story-short of it is, Jesus’ family didn’t believe in him (John 7:1-5). No doubt, they believed later (Acts 1:14), but not during Jesus’ three-and-one-half year public ministry. One may ask, how could Mary disbelieve, knowing all the circumstances of Jesus’ birth? Well, the problem is: what, exactly, did Mary and Jesus’ brethren believe about Jesus’ miraculous birth. Without doubt, they all believed Jesus was the Messiah, but there is absolutely no reason for them to understand he was God in the flesh. They understood his Messianic claims to be exactly what many modern Jews hope for today—a physical king, come to save them from their enemies and restore them to what they believe to be their rightful place in the world of nations. This was also the hope of the Jews during the first century AD (cp. John 12:34), and there is no reason why we shouldn’t believe this is what Mary and Jesus’ brethren also believed. Therefore, Jesus’ family thought the stress had, indeed, gotten to him, and he needed rest to recuperate (Mark 3:31; cp. verse-21).
Jesus was told that his family wanted to see him, and, no doubt, he was left with little reason to doubt, as to why they had come (Mark 3:32), for at that very moment he was in a heated discussion, having to do with the scribes’ and Pharisees’ accusation, which concerned under what power or authority he was doing miracles.
The air at this moment was emotionally charged. Folks often say things under such circumstances that would be out of place at other times, and this is so for what we read here. Why would Jesus, under normal circumstances, say things to virtual strangers that would be taken as an unflattering remark against his mother and brothers and sisters? He wouldn’t, and such a thing would be out of character for someone who respected his mother (cp. Luke 2:51). On the other hand, if his family had come under the influence of Jesus’ enemies, and they were the ones acting out of character, but thinking they were doing a good thing, Jesus’ words would be perfectly appropriate. In other words, Jesus’ family were virtually standing with Jesus’ enemies, though they did so out of ignorance. In this context, Jesus virtually disowned his family after the flesh for the sake of the Kingdom of God (cp. Luke 14:26; 18:29), and he chose to embrace his spiritual family, his disciples (Mark 3:33-35). Those who believe him, not what others say **about** him, are the true family of Christ.[2]
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[1] Josephus records in one of his first century AD histories that upwards of three million people would have been in Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover in any given year (see Josephus: Wars of the Jews 2.14.3 (280). Obviously, everyone who wished to celebrate the annual holy days couldn’t do so in one city. Therefore, at least one other official site was set up elsewhere. The most practical choice for such a site would have been Galilee, and Capernaum was at the crossroads of trade routes from both the east and the west, so it would have been a very logical choice.
[2] This puts James in Galatians 1:19 in contrast to James, Jesus’ natural brother. If Jesus’ natural brother didn’t believe in him during Jesus’ public ministry (John 7:1-5; Mark 3:21, 31), how could he have been given such a high position in the church, and that without any explanation? Jesus told his disciples that those who had been with him from the beginning would be his witnesses (John 15:27), and it was this criterion that was used by the Apostles to choose a replacement for Judas (Acts 1:15-26). How, then, could Galatians 1:19 possibly refer to Jesus’ natural brother, for being unbeliever during Jesus’ public ministry would disqualify him to be a witness for the sake of the Gospel. So, why would he hold such a high office in the nascent church? Without an explanation in the text, we must understand Galatians 1:19 to refer to James the Less, the third leading Apostle in the original Twelve.
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