The true family of Jesus. Homily for the 10th Sunday of Ordinary Time, Year B.

In today’s gospel we have an example of what scripture scholars often call the “Markan sandwich.” This narrative technique involves “sandwiching” one story within another or, if we discard the culinary metaphor, framing one story with another. The first story is about the family of Jesus turning up, thinking that he has gone out of his mind. They want to take him home. The story that is “sandwiched” within that story is about the scribes accusing Jesus that he casts out demons by the power of the prince of demons.