Mark 3

1 Yeshua went again into a synagogue, and a man with a shriveled hand was there.

2 Looking for a reason to accuse him of something, people watched him carefully to see if he would heal him on Shabbat.

3 He said to the man with the shriveled hand, "Come up where we can see you!"

4 Then to them he said, "What is permitted on Shabbat? Doing good or doing evil? Saving life or killing?" But they said nothing.

5 Then, looking them over and feeling both anger with them and sympathy for them at the stoniness of their hearts, he said to the man, "Hold out your hand." As he held it out, it became restored.

6 The P'rushim went out and immediately began plotting with some members of Herod's party how to do away with him.

7 Yeshua went off with his talmidim to the lake, and great numbers followed him from the Galil.

8 When they heard what he was doing, great numbers also followed him from Y'hudah, Yerushalayim, Idumea, the territory beyond the Yarden, and the Tzor-Tzidon area.

9 He told his talmidim to have a boat ready for him, so that he could escape the crush of the crowd if necessary,

10 for he had healed many people, and all the sick kept pressing forward to touch him.

11 Whenever the unclean spirits saw him, they would fall down in front of him and scream, "You are the Son of God!"

12 But he warned them strictly not to make him known.

13 Then he went up into the hill country and summoned to himself those he wanted, and they came to him.

14 He appointed twelve to be with him, to be sent out to preach

15 and to have authority to expel demons:

16 Shim`on, to whom he gave another name, "Kefa";

17 Ya`akov Ben-Zavdai and Yochanan, Ya`akov's brother -- to them he gave the name "B'nei-Regesh" (that is, "Thunderers");

18 Andrew, Philip, Bar-Talmai, Mattityahu, T'oma, Ya`akov Ben-Halfai, Taddai, Shim`on the Zealot,

19 and Y'hudah from K'riot, the one who betrayed him. Then he entered a house;

20 and once more, such a crowd came together that they couldn't even eat.

21 When his family heard about this, they set out to take charge of him; for they said, "He's out of his mind!"

22 The Torah-teachers who came down from Yerushalayim said, "He has Ba`alZibbul in him," and "It is by the ruler of the demons that he expels the demons."

23 But he called them and spoke to them in parables: "How can Satan expel Satan?

24 If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom can't survive;

25 and if a household is divided against itself, that household can't survive.

26 So if Satan has rebelled against himself and is divided, he can't survive either; and that's the end of him.

27 Furthermore, no one can break into a strong man's house and make off with his possessions unless he first ties up the strong man. After that, he can ransack his house.

28 Yes! I tell you that people will be forgiven all sins and whatever blasphemies they utter;

29 however, someone who blasphemes against the Ruach HaKodesh never has forgiveness but is guilty of an eternal sin."

30 For they had been saying, "He has an unclean spirit in him."

31 Then his mother and brothers arrived. Standing outside, they sent a message asking for him.

32 A crowd was sitting around him; and they said to him, "Your mother and your brothers are outside, asking for you."

33 He replied, "Who are my mother and my brothers?"

34 Looking at those seated in a circle around him, he said, "See! Here are my mother and my brothers!

35 Whoever does what God wants is my brother, sister and mother!"

Mark 3 Commentary

Chapter 3

The withered hand healed. (1-5) The people resort to Christ. (6-12) The apostles called. (13-21) The blasphemy of the scribes. (22-30) Christ's relatives. (31-35)

Verses 1-5 This man's case was piteous; he had a withered hand, which disabled him from working for his living; and those that are so, are the most proper objects of charity. Let those be helped that cannot help themselves. But stubborn infidels, when they can say nothing against the truth, yet will not yield. We hear what is said amiss, and see what is done amiss; but Christ looks at the root of bitterness in the heart, the blindness and hardness of that, and is grieved. Let hard-hearted sinners tremble to think of the anger with which he will look upon them shortly, when the day of his wrath comes. The great healing day now is the sabbath, and the healing place the house of prayer; but the healing power is of Christ. The gospel command is like that recorded here: though our hands are withered, yet, if we will not stretch them out, it is our own fault that we are not healed. But if we are healed, Christ, his power and grace, must have all the glory.

Verses 6-12 All our sicknesses and calamities spring from the anger of God against our sins. Their removal, or the making them blessings to us, was purchased to us by the blood of Christ. But the plagues and diseases of our souls, of our hearts, are chiefly to be dreaded; and He can heal them also by a word. May more and more press to Christ to be healed of these plagues, and to be delivered from the enemies of their souls.

Verses 13-21 Christ calls whom he will; for his grace is his own. He had called the apostles to separate themselves from the crowd, and they came unto him. He now gave them power to heal sicknesses, and to cast out devils. May the Lord send forth more and more of those who have been with him, and have learned of him to preach his gospel, to be instruments in his blessed work. Those whose hearts are enlarged in the work of God, can easily bear with what is inconvenient to themselves, and will rather lose a meal than an opportunity of doing good. Those who go on with zeal in the work of God, must expect hinderances, both from the hatred of enemies, and mistaken affections of friends, and need to guard against both.

Verses 22-30 It was plain that the doctrine of Christ had a direct tendency to break the devil's power; and it was as plain, that casting of him out of the bodies of people, confirmed that doctrine; therefore Satan could not support such a design. Christ gave an awful warning against speaking such dangerous words. It is true the gospel promises, because Christ has purchased, forgiveness for the greatest sins and sinners; but by this sin, they would oppose the gifts of the Holy Ghost after Christ's ascension. Such is the enmity of the heart, that unconverted men pretend believers are doing Satan's work, when sinners are brought to repentance and newness of life.

Verses 31-35 It is a great comfort to all true Christians, that they are dearer to Christ than mother, brother, or sister as such, merely as relations in the flesh would have been, even had they been holy. Blessed be God, this great and gracious privilege is ours even now; for though Christ's bodily presence cannot be enjoyed by us, his spiritual presence is not denied us.