Family discord and disassembly

Family discord and disassembly

"Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child. Children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death. (13:12)

The disciples will have to undergo trials not only the prophesied trials mentioned in the preceding verse but also in other spheres of their fundamental life. This particular verse talks about the imminent family discord and dissention within. The serious trial that the disciples had to face outside the family and the trial they had to face within the family are a big blow to the peaceful life of the disciples.

Originally family dissention is an apocalyptical statement. Mica 7:6 says, “For a son dishonors his father, a daughter rises up against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law--a man's enemies are the members of his own household.” The author of Mark’s Gospel grafted such apocalyptical statement of the Old Testament about the trials that the disciples had to encounter with. In his point of view, to live as the disciple of Jesus has the possibility to be isolated from relatives and family members. Perhaps this implies that Christians should be prepared for such unpleasant situations.

Family community instinctively maintains intimate relationship. The proverb, “Blood is thicker than water” is not a senseless utterance. However, according to circumstances, this family community has the high risk of suffocating the souls of the family members. I do not explain the detailed case. Instead, I would like to say what the reason is. The fact is that family member has a risk not to recognize others as an independent personality. ‘Mama Boy’ is an extreme case. Erich Fromm expressed that situation as ‘symbiosis union’. This is not a love but merely a desire.

The trials that Christians had to undergo in the ancient time in the East and Greek region where Judaism, various ancient religion and Greek philosophy ruled and this could be compared with the apocalyptical disaster. It is miraculous incident that Christianity survives such tough situation.