Mark 3:31 (WEB)
His mother and his brothers came, and standing outside, they sent to him, calling him.
As quoted in the map (KJV)
Mark 3:31–35 (KJV)
31 There came then his brethren and his mother, and, standing without, sent unto him, calling him. 32 And the multitude sat about him, and they said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren without seek for thee. 33 And he answered them, saying, Who is my mother, or my brethren? 34 And he looked round about on them which sat about him, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren! 35 For whosoever shall do the will of God, the same is my brother, and my sister, and mother.
Key words
- ἡ μήτηρ αὐτοῦ καὶ οἱ ἀδελφοὶ αὐτοῦhē mētēr autou kai hoi adelphoi autou · Greek
- 'his mother and his brethren' — Mark calls Mary 'his mother' here (vv. 31, 32); he never calls her 'the mother of James and Joses.'
- ὃς ἂν ποιήσῃ τὸ θέλημα τοῦ θεοῦhos an poiēsē to thelēma tou theou · Greek
- 'whosoever shall do the will of God' (v. 35) — Jesus defines his true family by obedience, not blood.
Why it matters
Jesus' mother and 'brethren' come looking for him, and he answers that whoever does God's will is his brother, sister and mother. Pitre cites the passage first as an objection (p 13) and then turns it into evidence (p 105): Mark has already named Mary 'his mother' twice, so when he later writes 'Mary the mother of James and Joses' (15:40) he cannot mean the mother of Jesus. The 'brothers' belong to another Mary.
Catechism · 1
- §500Paragraph 2 · "Conceived by the Power of the Holy Spirit and Born of the Virgin Mary"Read at vatican.va
“Against this doctrine the objection is sometimes raised that the Bible mentions brothers and sisters of Jesus.” — Catechism footnote: Cf. Mk 3:31-35; 6:3; I Cor 9:5; Gal 1:19.
Fathers and councils · 12
Catena Aurea on Matthew
- Augustine of HippoCatena Aurea on Matthew
“Mark also follows up that which He had said concerning blasphemy against the Holy Ghost, by saying, “And there came his mother and his brethren.” [Mark 3:31] Luke has not observed the order of action here, but has placed this earlier as he happened to recollect it.” — the author cites it
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Augustine of Hippo
“He gives it thus: “And there came His mother and His brethren,” omitting certain matters which meet us in the context connected with that discourse of the Lord, and which Matthew has introduced there with greater fulness than Mark, and Luke, again, with greater fulness than Matthew.” — editor's note: Mark iii. 31–35.
Read the whole commentChapter III.—Of the Question Whether Mark’s Reports of the Repeated Occasions on Which the Name of Peter Was Brought into Prominence are Not at Variance with the Statement Which John Has Given Us of the Particular…
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Catena Aurea on Mark
- Theophylact of OhridCatena Aurea on Mark
Because the relations of the Lord had come to seize upon Him, as if beside Himself, His mother, urged by the sympathy of her love, came to Him. Wherefore it is said, “And there came unto Him His mother, and, standing…
Read the whole comment - John ChrysostomCatena Aurea on Mark
From this it is manifest that His brethren and His mother were not always with Him; but because He was beloved by them, they come from reverence and affection, waiting without. Wherefore it goes on, “And the…
Read the whole comment - BedeCatena Aurea on Mark
The brother of the Lord must not be thought to be the sons of the ever-virgin Mary, as Helvidius says [ed. note: The perpetual virginity of the Mother of God is reckoned by White, Bramhall, Patrick and Pearson,…
Read the whole comment - Pseudo-ChrysostomCatena Aurea on Mark
But another Evangelist says, that His brethren did not believe on Him. [John 7:5] With which this agrees, which says, that they sought Him, waiting without, and with this meaning the Lord does not mention them as…
Read the whole comment - BedeCatena Aurea on Mark
Being asked therefore by a message to go out, He declines, not as though He refused the dutiful service of His mother, but to shew that He owes more to His Father’s mysteries than to His mother’s feelings. Nor does…
Read the whole comment - John ChrysostomCatena Aurea on Mark
By this, the Lord shews that we should honour those who are relations by faith rather than those who are relations by blood. A man indeed is made the mother of Jesus by preaching Him [ed. note: Nearly the same idea…
Read the whole comment - JeromeCatena Aurea on Mark
But let us be assured that we are His brethren and His sisters, if we do the will of the Father; that we may be joint-heirs with Him, for He discerns us not by sex but by our deeds. Wherefore it goes on: “Whosoever…
Read the whole comment - Theophylact of OhridCatena Aurea on Mark
He does not therefore say this, as denying His mother, but as shewing that He is worthy of honour, not only because she bore Christ, but on account of her possessing every other virtue.
Read the whole comment - BedeCatena Aurea on Mark
By mystically, the mother and brother of Jesus means the synagogue, (from which according to the flesh He sprung,) and the Jewish people who, while the Saviour is teaching within, come to Him, and are not able to…
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Cross-references · 16
Cited together in Catechism §500.
Cited together in Harmony of the Gospels II.41.
Cited together in Harmony of the Gospels II.41.
Cited together in Catechism §500.
Cited together in Catechism §500.
Cited together in Catechism §500.
Cited together in Catechism §500.
Cited together in Catechism §500.
Cited together in Augustine of Hippo on Matthew 12:46–50 (Catena Aurea) and 1 other place.
Cited together in Augustine of Hippo on Matthew 12:46–50 (Catena Aurea) and 1 other place.
Cited together in Augustine of Hippo on Matthew 12:46–50 (Catena Aurea) and 1 other place.
Cited together in Augustine of Hippo on Matthew 12:46–50 (Catena Aurea) and 1 other place.
Cited together in Augustine of Hippo on Matthew 12:46–50 (Catena Aurea) and 1 other place.
Cited together in Catechism §500.
Cited together in Catechism §500.
Cited together in Catechism §500.