SJC BIBLE STUDY – WEEK 1
Sunday, June 6, 2021 – Mark 3:20-35
Today is the first of a seven week journey in Mark 3-6. In today’s text Jesus is called out and criticized first by his family and then by the scribes.
Take a few moments and read the text in its entirety.
What do you notice in the text? What does the text tell us about God? What does the text say about us?
The Crowd. Crowds seemed to follow Jesus everywhere he went. What are some things that draws a crowd? What importance, if any, do you think that Mark is drawing his reader’s attention to here?
Out of His Mind. Jesus lived in a shame/honor society. The worst thing someone could do to another was to bring dishonor and shame upon their family. What was the profession of Jesus earthly father Jospeh? Try to imagine the shame brought on to Jesus family that he was being accused of by NOT following in the footsteps of his earthly family.
Rising to the Occasion. The scribes accused Jesus of being possessed by Beelzebul. By doing this they were labeling Jesus as a deviant and trying to destroy all his credibility. Jesus however rises to the occasion and engaged with them in a parables. Why might this be significant and what do you find interesting in how he responds?
Blasphemy Against the Spirit. The word “blasphemy” in the Greek can be understood as speech bringing dishonor to a persons name. Knowing that the scribes were trying to discredit and shame Jesus how might we then read and understand these verses about blasphemy against the spirit being an eternal sin?