What does Mark 3:32 mean?
Scholars have posited many reasons as to why Mary and her sons hope to bring Jesus back to Nazareth (Mark 3:21). One possibility is that they are worried for His health (Mark 3:20) or His safety (Mark 3:9-10). Another is that Jesus' antics in Capernaum and the surrounding area give His brothers a bad reputation. The people in Nazareth do not accept His authority. They've seen Him grow up and know His family. They even call Him a bastard—in that culture, referring to Jesus as "son of Mary" was an insult against His parentage (Mark 6:3). Some consider Him insane (Mark 3:21).Since Jesus' family is not there to see and hear what is really occurring, one can understand why they'd be concerned about such rumors. The people who see Jesus' healings and hear Him preach have a different take. They want to hear what He has to say. They understand that a prophet is identified by the works God does through him. They have seen or experienced His power to heal and release people from demon possession, and they are eager to know more.
The word translated "outside" is the Greek exo, which means "out" or "away." The problem with Jesus' family isn't that they are outside the physical house, but that they are outside Jesus' influence. Pharisees had sat in that house, listening to Jesus teach, but their hearts were far from Him (Mark 2:1–12). In a similar way, we can go to church or read Christian articles or listen to Christian music all day long yet be far from Jesus. What matters is our heart attitude toward Jesus.
Jesus' family displays a common dichotomy. They are seeking Jesus, but only for their own gain—in this case, to stop Him from stirring up controversy. They're not primarily interested in whether or not His message is true. Presumably they want Him to be easy and unobtrusive, and to stay out of trouble. People today want that, too, but Jesus' followers understand it is we who must adapt to Him. The difference is faith. Hebrews 11:6 promises that God rewards those who seek Jesus in faith. But we must seek Him as He is, not as someone to do our bidding so that our earthly lives are easier.
