In today’s gospel from Mark (3: 20-35) we hear some pretty “disturbing” and usual statements of concern about Jesus—from His own family: “He is out of His mind,” they say. Jesus’ behavior is disturbing to them—and Mark states that they “want to seize Him” and take Him away. In fact, Jesus’ contemporaries call Him “Beelzelbul” (a name derived from a Philistine god, formerly worshipped in Ekron, and later adopted by some Abrahamic religions as a given name to a major demon. The name Beelzebul is associated with the Canaanite god Baal. In theological sources, predominately Christian, Beelzebub is sometimes another name for the Devil, similar to Satan. He is known in demonology as one of the seven princes of Hell. The Dictionnaire Infernal describes Beelzebul as a being capable of flying, known as the "Lord of the Flyers", or the "Lord of the Flies").

But as many well educated and meaning folks have noted in the past, “You can’t judge the past (or our understanding people’s personalities) with current knowledge (or devotion). And we can’t take our understanding of Mary and Jesus’ contemporaries and their role in His earthly life and apply our own understandings to the actual happenings of the day).

What we do know—and can speculate on—is the meaning of Mark’s Gospel in this account—and it is much different from Luke’s presentation—for Mark has a different point to make: Mark is talking to us about what it means to have “membership” in the Kingdom of God.

On the topic of a royal kingdom on earth which the gospel describes, most people of the day, including Jesus’ relatives, would have known what it means to be a member of the “royal dynasty or family.” Just like our understanding with the recent marriage of Prince Harry and American Meghan Markle, blood lines are important and determine who belongs, as the British would say, to “The Firm.” In Mark, Jesus states that it is not blood relationships that connects us to God the Father—as brother, mother, and sister—but rather doing the Will of God—living our lives in discipleship—is what makes us adopted daughters and sons of the Father.

And to achieve this daughter-ship or son-ship status with God we have to accept the invitation of the Holy Spirit to imitate Christ by caring for the vulnerable, “healing” the sick with new medicines and healthcare, or sheltering the homeless and educating the ignorant of faith—and more. This invitation by the Holy Spirit comes to us first not in an email or tweet but rather in Baptism, as we are anointed with Sacred Chrism, washed clean with Blessed water, and witnessed in prayer by our families; then the “full invitation” comes at Confirmation with the laying on of hands and the fullness of the Holy Spirit—which then is nourished by Eucharist, family, and Church.

One of the most important aspects of the acceptance of the Holy Spirit’s invitation is our family’s role in saying “Yes!” In the rite of Baptism, we end this Sacrament with two beautiful prayers over the mother and father. The first, over the mom, highlights the joy a Christian mother now seeing eternal life shine upon their child. Over the father—and in acknowledgement of the role of parenthood—we hear that with his wife they shall be the first of teachers and the best of teachers in the ways of faith to this child. God intended faith to be both a lived experience in the family and an experience that is passed on. What we see our father and mother do, we do. As the saying goes, Children are the greatest imitators—give them something amazing to imitate.

Certainly of all the legacies we might leave our children—from homes to portfolios to heirlooms—the most valuable one is a soul united to Christ in charity and love, for that is the fulfillment of the gift of God’s Love—salvation. Membership in the Kingdome of God certainly has its Eternal privileges!