Mark 3:20-21; 31-35

²⁰ Then the multitude came together again, so that they could not so much as eat bread.

²¹ 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.”

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³¹ Then His brothers and His mother came, and standing outside they sent to Him, calling Him.

³² And a multitude was sitting around Him; and they said to Him, “Look, Your mother and Your brothers are outside seeking You.”

³³ But He answered them, saying, “Who is My mother, or My brothers?”

³⁴ And He looked around in a circle at those who sat about Him, and said, “Here are My mother and My brothers!

³⁵ For whoever does the will of God is My brother and My sister and mother.”

Also found in Matthew 12:46-50 and Luke 8:19-21.

The Lord and His disciples returned to Peter’s house from the mountain, but the crowd, which had party dispersed while they were gone, quickly reassembled. They pressed so hard that they had no opportunity to eat.

heard about this (v.21) — Not referring to what happened in v.20. The words “about this” aren’t in the Greek. Instead, the Greek reads “having heard,” probably referring to the Lord’s entire Galilean ministry.

His own people (v.21) — A reference to the Lord’s family. This thread picks back up in v.31. His brothers had not yet believed that He was the Messiah (John 7:5).

they went out (v.21) — Out from their own homes. It is several miles from Nazareth, where the Lord’s family lived, to Capernaum.

lay hold (v.21) = get possession of, become master of, take hold of, seize” His family intended to take Him by force.

He is out of His mind (v.21) = driven out of His senses. Probably not in the literal sense. But they probably thought that He had gotten so caught up on religious zeal that He was no longer thinking straight, that He was in an unhealthy state of excitement.

then (v.31) — not in the original manuscript.

standing outside they sent to Him (v.31) — It seems that they did not want to go into the house and grab Him by force in front of the crowd, but sent in word, hoping that He would come out to them. They probably didn’t want everyone to know why they were there, which would indicate some degree of genuine concern for Him.

Based on the Greek words and the Lord’s statement in v.35, there is some question whether His sisters had accompanied their brothers and mother.

Who is My mother, or My brothers? (v.35) — The Lord knew why they had come.

He looked around in a circle (v.34) — an inclusive look that took in all of those who were sitting in a circle around Him.

It was not surprising that their carnal hearts should have so judged Him, for His conduct must have appeared insane to them. He attacked the clergy, He sat with Sinners, He defended His disciples when they ate with unwashed hands, and when thy plucked corn on the Sabbath Day, and He preached to the extent that He had not time to eat. His behavior was eccentric.

But He was founding a Heavenly family, a spiritual home, in which natural kinship as such, had no place. Not that He denied the honour due to a parent, for He commanded it, nor the affection justly claimed by brothers and sisters, but He taught that these relationships had no authority in the spiritual realm of which He, as God, was supreme. Natural claims must be there denied. — Williams, page 734.

I wonder what Mary was thinking as she traveled home without even seeing her Son.