Fr. Lawrence Jagdfeld, O.F.M., Administrator
When his relatives heard of this they set out to seize him, for they said, "He is out of his mind." (Mark 3:21)
Context is very important in understanding this verse, one of two that make up today's Gospel passage. In verse twenty-two, this statement is complemented by another in which the scribes accuse Jesus of being in league with Beelzebul. Just two days ago, Thursday's Gospel passage included the detail that whenever unclean spirits saw Jesus, they fell down and declared that he was the Son of God. The evangelist is employing one of his most frequently used rhetorical devices; namely, irony.
St. Mark's Gospel is filled with irony. In the prologue to his Gospel, St. John wrote: He came to what was his own, but his own people did not accept him. (John 1:11) Through his use of irony, St. Mark is making the same statement. His family, the chief priests, the Pharisees, and the scribes all reject Jesus while the unclean spirits recognize him for who he really is. In chapter fifteen, St. Mark will put these same words on the lips of the Roman centurion who stood looking at Jesus as he hung on the cross. The unclean spirits and a pagan soldier recognize what the Jewish people would not.
Rejection is certainly one of the most difficult human experiences to endure. However, in the face of rejection, we can take consolation in the fact that like other difficult human experiences, Jesus has experienced it and understands our situation. People with disabilities, especially people who endure mental disabilities, are often rejected by family and friends who simply do not know how to relate to those who are so afflicted. At such times, it might help to remember that even Jesus was so accused.