Mark 3

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

2 and they were watching him, whether on the sabbaths he will heal him, that they might accuse him.

3 And he saith to the man having the hand withered, `Rise up in the midst.'

4 And he saith to them, `Is it lawful on the sabbaths to do good, or to do evil? life to save, or to kill?' but they were silent.

5 And having looked round upon them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their heart, he saith to the man, `Stretch forth thy hand;' and he stretched forth, and his hand was restored whole as the other;

6 and the Pharisees having gone forth, immediately, with the Herodians, were taking counsel against him how they might destroy him.

7 And Jesus withdrew with his disciples unto the sea, and a great multitude from Galilee followed him, and from Judea,

8 and from Jerusalem, and from Idumea and beyond the Jordan; and they about Tyre and Sidon -- a great multitude -- having heard how great things he was doing, came unto him.

9 And he said to his disciples that a little boat may wait on him, because of the multitude, that they may not press upon him,

10 for he did heal many, so that they threw themselves on him, in order to touch him -- as many as had plagues;

11 and the unclean spirits, when they were seeing him, were falling down before him, and were crying, saying -- `Thou art the Son of God;'

12 and many times he was charging them that they might not make him manifest.

13 And he goeth up to the mountain, and doth call near whom he willed, and they went away to him;

14 and he appointed twelve, that they may be with him, and that he may send them forth to preach,

15 and to have power to heal the sicknesses, and to cast out the demons.

16 And he put on Simon the name Peter;

17 and James of Zebedee, and John the brother of James, and he put on them names -- Boanerges, that is, `Sons of thunder;'

18 and Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James of Alpheus, and Thaddeus, and Simon the Cananite,

19 and Judas Iscariot, who did also deliver him up; and they come into a house.

20 And come together again doth a multitude, so that they are not able even to eat bread;

21 and his friends having heard, went forth to lay hold on him, for they said that he was beside himself,

22 and the scribes who [are] from Jerusalem having come down, said -- `He hath Beelzeboul,' and -- `By the ruler of the demons he doth cast out the demons.'

23 And, having called them near, in similes he said to them, `How is the Adversary able to cast out the Adversary?

24 and if a kingdom against itself be divided, that kingdom cannot be made to stand;

25 and if a house against itself be divided, that house cannot be made to stand;

26 and if the Adversary did rise against himself, and hath been divided, he cannot be made to stand, but hath an end.

27 `No one is able the vessels of the strong man -- having entered into his house -- to spoil, if first he may not bind the strong man, and then his house he will spoil.

28 `Verily I say to you, that all the sins shall be forgiven to the sons of men, and evil speakings with which they might speak evil,

29 but whoever may speak evil in regard to the Holy Spirit hath not forgiveness -- to the age, but is in danger of age-during judgment;'

30 because they said, `He hath an unclean spirit.'

31 Then come do his brethren and mother, and standing without, they sent unto him, calling him,

32 and a multitude was sitting about him, and they said to him, `Lo, thy mother and thy brethren without do seek thee.'

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

34 And having looked round in a circle to those sitting about him, he saith, `Lo, my mother and my brethren!

35 for whoever may do the will of God, he is my brother, and my 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.