Mark 3:20-21 20And he went into a house, and the crowd gathered together again, so that they could not even eat a meal. 21And when those close to him heard, they went out to seize him, for they were saying, “He is out of his mind.”
The storyline makes another surprising shift when Jesus went into a house. Mark’s account is brief and gives few details. As a writer, he does not seem concerned about giving all the details of a historian but is focused more on key themes and their implied messages. In this passage, the theme of rejection is developed which was introduced in 2:6. This section contrasts with the previous section by demonstrating the type of response those who are not disciples have towards Jesus. The expected response of the reader is to be a disciple like the twelve and not give the type of response given by those close to Jesus. The rest of chapter 3 is a complex story with three levels: Jesus and the crowds, Jesus and his family, and Jesus and the teachers of the law.
Jesus went from the wilderness back to a house. The location of the house is not stated, although some translations assume this to be Jesus’ own home in Nazareth based on the stories that follow with reference to those close to him and his mother and brothers (verse 31). Mark has already shown Jesus’ divinity as the Son of God. Now he points out his humanity in that he could not eat. Everywhere he went people followed. The identity of those close to him is not specified but the assumption is that these were people who knew Jesus well. It could be idiomatic for his relatives but that might be too limiting in this passage. The phrase could include friends, followers, or those who had some acquaintance with him. They thought he was crazy. Their expectations were shattered. Something was different about the Jesus they thought they knew. Not only were the religious officials now after Jesus, so were those who had some connection with him. They also wanted to seize, capture, bind, or retain Jesus; put him in a straight jacket and ship him off to the mental hospital. Those who think they know Jesus may be offended by him until they fully commit themselves to him and follow the path to the cross.
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