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Comparing The Gospels Of Matthew And Mark 3: 20-35

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After being raised in a very family-oriented Lutheran church, it is strange to read verses from the Gospels that show Jesus wanting families to be divided and rejecting his own family. Most Christian understandings of family stem from love and “Honor thy father and mother,” but in Matthew and Mark, Jesus’ expectations are harsh and negative. Rather than showing them honor and following parents’ wishes, Jesus wants people to go against the people they are closest to. While both Matthew 10:34-39 and Mark 3:20-35 are about the importance of Jesus over human relationships, Matthew’s version is frustrating and Mark’s may be more hopeful. Matthew’s text on “Not Peace, but a Sword” opens with a verse that, while it doesn’t sound much like the …show more content…

Mark’s text, though, does not direct family members to go against one another. While it is possible that 3:33 suggests Jesus completely denying his biological family, it is not explicitly stated. He does not directly address any of his family members. Jesus chooses different, adopted family members in the following verse, but only because the do the “will of God.” (If Jesus’ family later were to do the will of God, would he automatically accept them as family again?). In this text, Jesus shows that it is at least possible to maintain human connections. Rather than eliminating family connections altogether, one can at least be connected to form of “family.” This text in Mark does not completely deny the benefits of family like Matthew does. Based on Jesus’ acceptance of the people around him in 3:34, he makes it clear that a person still needs to have a “family”—as long as this family is made up of the right kind of people. The value of this “family” is demonstrated in Mark 3:24-25. Verse 24 outlines the value of a united kingdom and verse 25 relates this to a united household. Jesus’ message in Mark completely goes against Matthew’s idea to divide …show more content…

Matthew’s Jesus wants us to abandon (or at least fight with) our family members. Mark’s Jesus wants us to maintain family-like connections, but only with those who have matching understandings of God’s will. From my own research, I know that Luke 2:41-52 (the story of the boy Jesus in the temple) presents a Jesus who is careful to simultaneously love and obey both God and his biological parents. Luke’s Jesus wants us to stay connected to our biological families while still making room for God. In the present day, it is hard to imagine anyone using Matthew’s views to justify broken families. It seems strange to encourage arguments between people who care for each other. When Jesus pits sons and daughters against mothers and fathers, it also raises an interesting question: why have children born to parents in the first place if might end up hating each other? Mark and Luke certainly contain more comfortable views on what family life should be, and they better reflect our present understandings of

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