The sons of Joseph were far from being in sympathy with Jesus in His work. The reports that reached them in regard to His life and labors filled them with astonishment and dismay. They heard that He devoted entire nights to prayer, that through the day He was thronged by great companies of people, and did not give Himself time so much as to eat. His friends felt that He was wearing Himself out by His incessant labor; they were unable to account for His attitude toward the Pharisees, and there were some who feared that His reason was becoming unsettled.

Dette kapitel er bygget op over Matt 12,22-50; Mark 3,20-35
Josefs sønner var langtfra venligt indstillede over for Jesu gerning. De rygter, de hørte om hans liv og virksomhed, fyldte dem med forundring og forfærdelse. De hørte, at han tilbragte hele nætter i bøn, at han hele dagen var omgivet af store folkeskare og ikke engang undte sig tid til at spise. Hans venner mente, at han blev slidt op af sit ustandselige arbejde. De var ikke i stand til at gøre rede for hans holdning over for farisæerne, og der var nogle, der var bange for, at hans forstand var blevet forvirret.