Critics sometimes claim that Jesus showed disrespect to his mother and brothers when they came to speak with him. However, this ignores the social dynamics and the relationship prior to this incident.

Mark's report of this incident (Mark 3:21) notes that the family came because they 'went out to lay hold on him: for they said, He is beside himself.' The word 'lay hold' is krateo and signifies taking hold fast or seizing by strength—it is the same word used of those who came to arrest Jesus. In ancient times, relatives normally sought to conceal family members' behavior that would shame the family. Jesus' family arriving to seize and hide him suggests that any perceived disrespect was precipitated by the family's misunderstanding of his ministry. Elsewhere, John's gospel (John 7:5) notes that Jesus' brothers (understood in historic Christianity as step-siblings or close kinsmen) mockingly suggested he show off at the feast, indicating they did not yet believe in him.