Mark 3

1 And he entered again into the synagogue, and there was a man there who had a withered hand.

2 And they watched him, whether he would heal him on the sabbath day, that they might accuse him.

3 So he said unto the man who had the withered hand, Stand forth.

4 And he said unto them, Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath days or to do evil? to save the person or to kill them? But they were silent.

5 And looking round about on them with anger, being grieved for the blindness of their hearts, he said unto the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it out and his hand was restored whole as the other.

6 And as the Pharisees went forth, they took counsel with the Herodians against him, to kill him.

7 But Jesus withdrew himself with his disciples to the sea, and a great multitude from Galilee followed him, and from Judaea

8 and from Jerusalem and from Idumaea and from beyond Jordan. And those who dwell around Tyre and Sidon, a great multitude, hearing what great things he did, came unto him.

9 And he spoke to his disciples that a small ship should wait on him because of the multitude, lest they should throng him.

10 For he had healed many, insomuch that as many as had plagues pressed upon him to touch him.

11 And the unclean spirits, when they saw him, fell down before him and cried out, saying, Thou art the Son of God.

12 And he straitly charged them that they should not make him known.

13 And he went up to the mountain and called unto himself whom he would, and they came unto him.

14 And he established twelve, that they should be with him, and that he might send them forth to preach

15 and to have power to heal sicknesses and to cast out devils:

16 Simon, whom he gave the name Peter;

17 and James the son of Zebedee and John the brother of James, whom he surnamed them Boanerges, which is The sons of thunder;

18 and Andrew and Philip and Bartholomew and Matthew and Thomas and James the son of Alphaeus and Thaddaeus and Simon the Canaanite

19 and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him; and they came home.

20 And the multitude came together again, so that they could not so much as eat bread.

21 And when his friends and family heard of it, they went out to lay hold on him; for they said, He is beside himself.

22 But the scribes who had come down from Jerusalem said that he had Beelzebub and that by the prince of the devils he cast out devils.

23 And he called them unto him and said unto them in parables, How can Satan cast out Satan?

24 If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot remain.

25 And if a house is divided against itself, that house cannot remain.

26 And if Satan rises up against himself and is divided, he cannot remain, but has an end.

27 No man can enter into a strong man’s house and spoil his goods except he will first bind the strong man, and then he will spoil his house.

28 Verily I say unto you, All sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men and whatever blasphemies with which they shall blaspheme,

29 but whosoever shall blaspheme against the Holy Spirit shall never have forgiveness but is obligated to eternal judgment,

30 because they said, He has an unclean spirit.

31 There came then his brethren and his mother, and, standing without, sent unto him, calling him.

32 The multitude was sitting all around him, and they said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brothers and sisters seek thee without.

33 And he answered them, saying, Who is my mother or my brethren?

34 And looking round about on those who sat about him, he said, Behold my mother and my brethren!

35 For whosoever doeth the will of God, the same is my brother and my sister and my 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.